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The Red Paperclip Story

If the idea of owning a home of your own sounds like a dream, let me tell you a bit about Kyle McDonald and his “magic” red paper clip.

Kyle’s story models the tale of the American writer, and Unitarian minister, Horatio Alger, who promoted the virtues of honesty, diligence, and perseverance while writing about underprivileged youths in New York City. These young men went on to earn fame and wealth. While speaking with McDonald via an email chat, McDonald agreed that “perhaps one red paperclip is a bit of a Horatio Alger tale in some ways. It [was] all about respecting others and working to achieve good things.”

McDonald is originally from Belcarra, British Columbia. He is a young man who professes to have planted more than 100,000 trees and delivered more than 1,000 pizzas but has eaten only one scorpion. He decided to begin his Internet bartering after playing a children’s game called “bigger and better.”

He created a website devoted to the project. He promised to visit fellow traders wherever they lived. The scheme got off to a good start by Kyle swapping the red paper clip and receiving a pen shaped like fish from two women in Vancouver who had found it on a camping trip.

A sculptor in Seattle wanted the pen. He traded a humorous handmade ceramic doorknob in return. The doorknob was traded for a camping stove, which turned into a 1,000 watt generator which was swapped for a snow globe. After McDonald traded the generator, he wanted to give up the quest. McDonald told this writer, “….I wasn’t sure if it was worth the effort to keep making trades. I waited almost two months to trade away the generator, and was ‘on the fence’ pretty much the whole time about continuing.

The snow globe was traded for an afternoon with rocker Alice Cooper. Hollywood Director, Corbin Bernsen collects snow globes and traded a paid part in his film, Donna on Demand for the snow globe. I asked McDonald who the wackiest person was that he met as well as the most sincere and nicest. McDonald said, “(it was a) tossup between Alice Cooper and Corbin Bernsen. One jumps on stage and pours blood on people for a living and the other is an actor who collects snow globes.” Kyle McDonald thought everyone he traded with was great!

Finally, the town of Kipling, population 1,140 decided that they would like a resident to get this part in the movie. They traded a 1920’s house for the movie role. Kyle McDonald still lives in Kipling part of the time. But, he must divide his time off with his family in Vancouver and his partner, Dom’s in Montreal. He says, “life in Kipling is great. It is a very friendly place and everyone has been extremely welcoming to us.” He adds, “if you ever get a chance to go to Kipling, don’t pass it up!”

I asked Kyle McDonald to sum up his red paper clip experience. He said, “if you have an idea or a plan, you need to start it on its way if you ever hope to succeed.”

Sandra Pianin is a freelance writer and reviewer who lives in New York City. She is a frequent contributor to ladies-room.net.