The Trade Me Project was a TikTok account created by Demi Skipper that sought to trade a bobby pin for a house.[1] The project began as a TikTok series on May 18, 2020.[2] The idea for the project is based off the project by Kyle MacDonald that traded a red paperclip for a house. The idea is not to directly trade a bobby pin for a house, but rather to trade each item for a new item of slightly higher value.[3]
The series concluded in December 2021 when Demi Skipper made her last trade for a house, with a total of 28 trades having been made. Skipper states that she plans to renovate the house, and then "trade the house for a bobby-pin". Adding, "I'm going to give the house away to somebody who really needs it".[3][4] She has also said that, after giving the house away, she plans to attempt it a second time.[5]
Trades
Skipper took 28 trades and around a year and a half to trade her way up from the bobby pin to the house.[6] She had imposed a rule on the trades that they could not be made with any person she already knew, and that money could not be used in any transaction.[2] However, she would cover shipping expenses when they applied.[7] Skipper said she spent hours researching trades, which she contrasted with the short-form nature of her TikTok posts that were one minute long.[8] Skipper also noted the trust necessary for the project to work, hoping that others would follow through with trades after items were shipped out. She said that no one had ever scammed her in such a way.[9] The initial trades were made around San Francisco, before including trades made across the United States. The final trade was for a house outside Nashville, Tennessee on November 26, 2021.[10][11]
The trades had some controversies among her fans. Her choice to trade a set of three tractors for Chipotle Celebrity Cards, valued at about $20,000, drew criticism from her followers. Viewers said she would never be able to trade it with someone for an item of comparable value. She later traded the card for an off-the-grid home worth about $40,000.[12]
The final trade came from a viewer of Skipper's; she was a house flipper. She had been waiting for the "right trade" to make an offer.[12]
Skipper's account received one million followers within the first week.[13]
She received help from her fans storing and transporting items throughout the duration of the project. She also received several negative comments from others. She thanked her husband for supporting her throughout the journey, and said that the negative comments added to her resolve to complete the project so she could prove them wrong.[14] Skipper stated she would receive 1,000 messages on Instagram every day, often with offers to support the project without proposing a trade.[7]
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