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Blogger Proves One Red Paper Clip Can Indeed Buy a House

Clean the Sky - Positive Eco Trends & Breakthroughs

— July 11, 2006 — Lifestyle
Taking a paper clip and turning it into a house sounds like a cheesy magic trick or a phony instance of resourcefulness on the 1980s TV show "MacGyver."

Kyle MacDonald, however, has pulled it off.

One year ago, the 26-year-old blogger from Montreal set out to barter one red paper clip for something and that thing for something else, over and over again until he had a house.

On Wednesday the quest is ending as envisioned: MacDonald is due to become the proud owner of a three-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot home provided by the town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. MacDonald and his girlfriend, Dominique Dupuis, expect to move there in early September.
Trend Themes
1. Bartering Economy - The trend of bartering items for goods or services instead of traditional currency can offer disruptive innovation opportunities for peer-to-peer marketplaces and digital communities.
2. Creative Resourcefulness - The trend of finding new and innovative ways to use everyday items can offer disruptive innovation opportunities for sustainability-focused industries and makerspaces.
3. Online Challenges - The trend of online challenges that encourage participants to achieve a goal can offer disruptive innovation opportunities for companies looking to engage with social media-savvy audiences.
Industry Implications
1. Peer-to-peer Marketplaces - The trend of bartering can be leveraged in peer-to-peer marketplaces such as Craiglist or Facebook Marketplace, providing more choices for buying and selling goods and services.
2. Sustainability-focused Industries - The trend of creative resourcefulness can be applied to sustainability-focused industries such as eco-friendly packaging, waste reduction, and upcycling, leading to more innovative and environmentally-friendly products and practices.
3. Social Media Companies - The trend of online challenges can be leveraged by social media companies to increase engagement and participation on their platforms and attract a wider audience.
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