In 2005, Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald traded a red paperclip for a fish-shaped pen. From there, he wanted to see how many times he could “trade up” for something bigger and better. After one year and 14 trades (facilitated by the internet, of course), he acquired a two-story farmhouse in Saskatchewan.
No money changed hands. The barter-only experiment became a viral sensation and presents deep thoughts about the nature of value.
This week on 2 Girls 1 Podcast, Alli and Jen (actors who perform weird internet content on stage) talk to MacDonald about his inspiration for the project, the amazing and strange people he met along the way, how the fame has affected his life, and the businesses that are still trying to cash in on Red Paperclip mania.
Listen to episode 104 of #2G1P right here:
2 Girls 1 Podcast is supported by listeners. A lot of time and resources go into research, booking, editing, and publishing this show. If you love internet culture as much as we love ’casting about it, consider a contribution of $1 or $2 per month to help offset our production costs. Become a patron of #2G1P and earn some cool perks while you’re at it:
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2 Girls 1 Podcast is hosted by Allison Goldberg and Jennifer Jamula, and is produced and edited by Matt Silverman in New York City. Production assistance is provided by the Podglomerate.