TikTok Woman Is Trading Her Way to a House, Starting With a Bobby Pin

If you’ve ever seen the “Garage Sale” episode of The Office, you know all about Dwight Schrute’s plan to go home with the most expensive item by bartering his way up from a simple thumbtack. His plan is working perfectly as he trades up, eventually landing an expensive telescope. But, like in many other instances, he’s outsmarted by Jim Halpern, who convinces him to trade it for a pack of “Professor Copperfield’s Miracle Legumes.” Things didn’t go that well for Dwight, but his poor choices didn’t stop one TikTok user from attempting a similar feat.

Photo: @trademeproject (Instagram)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBta4don8U2/

Similar to Kyle MacDonald and his trading up from a red paperclip to a farmhouse in Saskatchewan, Canada, Demi Skipper hopes to do the same starting with a single bobby pin. Her journey began on May 26, and, after trading up for a set of earrings, she traded for margarita glasses, a vacuum cleaner, a snowboard, an Apple TV, Bose headphones, an Xbox One, a laptop, a Canon camera set, and a pair of collectible Nike sneakers valued at $750.

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It all started when, bored during COVID-19 lockdown, Skipper decided that she would start a TikTok account where she documented her attempts to trade up to eventually get a house of her own. While her videos have received millions of views (and likely almost as many offers to trade), she has always taken to Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook to get the word out on her ambitions.

It’s called the “Trade Me Project” and you can live vicariously through Skipper and her innovative idea and follow her on Instagram and TikTok to see if she ever finishes her goal. Or maybe she’ll end up giving it all away for a packet of magic beans. Either way, we’re along for the ride.

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