From hairpin to house: woman who mastered ‘trading up’ realizes dream

Demi Skipper began her journey in May 2020, offering a bobby pin for trade on Craigslist. This month, she was offered a house in Tennessee

After a year and a half of pouring blood, sweat and tears, Demi Skipper has successfully taken one single hair pin and traded it up all the way to a house.

In May this year, the Guardian spoke to her after she'd traded three tractors for one of only a few Chipotle celebrity cards in the world, worth about $20,000. She had been inspired by Kyle MacDonald, who in 2006 traded a red paperclip all the way to a house, and hoped to reach her goal by summer's end.