This essay is based on a conversation with a tech product manager. It has been edited for clarity.
I would never have believed you if you had told me a year and a half ago that I would be holding the keys to the house I traded for a pin.
I didn't know what to do after I got the house. I knew I wanted to trade a bobby pin for one.
I was inspired by a Canadian man who traded a paperclip for a house 14 times in a year. "Could I do the same?" was the question I asked, until I was certain the answer was yes.
I was optimistic when I first started, but it was much harder than I thought.
Skipper is looking for her next trade.
The person is Demi Skipper.
The trades were easy at first: a pair of earrings, a set of glasses, and a vacuum.
The trades became more complicated as the items got higher in value. I was making the right move, and each trade took weeks of stress, self-confidence, and logistics.
I decided to share my experience. I posted about the trade with zero followers on my first TikTok. I have 5 million.
The community helped me transport and store traded items around the country, like the car I kept in someone's garage. There were always negative comments on my page, saying I had made a stupid trade or had bad intentions.
I had to stop reading comments about my appearance because they started to take a toll. My husband was with me through it all. Everyone who doubted me helped me get the house.
It took me 28 trades to get to the house.
In the new year, Skipper says she's starting renovations on a house in Tennessee.
The person is Demi Skipper.
Every waking moment outside of my full-time job in tech product management was spent thinking about and trying to make trades. A card worth one year of unlimited free meals was one of the unique items.
I traded for the second-to-last item that I'd ultimately trade for the house with the CelebrityChipotle Card.
One of the most complicated trades was the one for that trailer.
The woman who owned it was willing to trade it for something else. She used the mobile truck as a flower shop, but also as a food truck.
I was able to get the trailer into the US after five months because of the closed border and customs issues in Canada. I made my last trade for the house.
The house is worth $80,000 and has a great yard. The carpets need to be fixed in January.
The goal was always to get the house, even if I sold it or gave it away. I don't know which will happen after I redecorate.
Sometimes my husband and I look at each other and wonder if this is real.
This process has changed my life. The journey taught me that no matter how bad it looks, it is possible.
Even though it was hard, I'm ready to do it again. I want to be the first person to trade a pin for a house twice.
Due to an exclusive contract, Skipper was unable to give more information about the house trade.
