# Can you turn a paperclip into a house?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 18, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140 "2006-04-18T05:56:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/1 "2006-04-18T05:56:44Z")
[Because this guy is damn close.](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1848314&page=1)
He started with a red paperclip, and has turned that into free rent for a year for a home in Phoenix.
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### Author:  [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/2 "2006-04-18T06:11:36Z")
Should this sort of thing be encouraged?
Will the world be better off when everyone is trying to make a buck off one another?
Geez, I sound like a hippy. Don’t get me started on property flipping.
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### Author:  [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/3 "2006-04-18T10:43:40Z")
Notice that the trade action didn’t take off until someone gave him a snowmobile for a keg of beer. That’s one thirsty dude.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/4 "2006-04-18T11:39:43Z")
I still say it could have happened without the snowmobile deal…it just would’ve taken longer.
I love this whole thing. I’d like to try it and actually know people who will probably attempt it.
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/5 "2006-04-18T12:29:08Z")
I’m terribly disappointed by this thread. I was hoping it’d about the paperclip equivalent of origame. Now that’d display truly impressive manual dexterity, but alas, no, it was not to be…_sigh_…
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### Author:  [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/6 "2006-04-18T12:37:37Z")
I thought someone used a paperclip to pick the lock of a house door. =P
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/7 "2006-04-18T12:37:47Z")
I can’t wait until he reaches his goal and writes the book. That’ll be interesting to read.
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### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/8 "2006-04-18T15:18:29Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#):
>
> Notice that the trade action didn’t take off until someone gave him a snowmobile for a keg of beer. That’s one thirsty dude.
A I understand, the keg was empty. It was a promotional “party kit” with signs and an empty keg.
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/9 "2006-04-18T18:25:28Z")
> [@dnooman](#):
>
> Should this sort of thing be encouraged?
>
> Will the world be better off when everyone is trying to make a buck off one another?
>
> Geez, I sound like a hippy. Don’t get me started on property flipping.
Well unless you live in a world where you are totally self sufficient, you will have to trade for goods and services.
And what’s wrong with flipping properties? Is there something wrong with buying a shitbox, fixing it up and making a bit of a profit?
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### Author:  [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/10 "2006-04-18T18:36:30Z")
> [@dnooman](#):
>
> Should this sort of thing be encouraged?
>
> Will the world be better off when everyone is trying to make a buck off one another?
>
> Geez, I sound like a hippy. Don’t get me started on property flipping.
What world do you live in?
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### Author:  [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/11 "2006-04-18T21:45:15Z")
When asked if he had heros, **ZebraShaSha** looked far off in the distance, somewhere far beyond the break in the trees. “Yes,” he muttered, “there is this one guy…”
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### Author:  [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/12 "2006-04-18T21:46:43Z")
> [@welby](#):
>
> What world do you live in?
“Turkistan, of course. Sorry, I would of replied earlier, but I was too busy reading His book.”
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### Author:  [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/13 "2006-04-18T23:04:56Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#):
>
> \
> reading His book.
The Bible?
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/14 "2006-04-18T23:15:44Z")
> [@dnooman](#):
>
> Should this sort of thing be encouraged?
Hell no! The next thing you know, people will want freedom of speech.
> [@](#):
>
> Will the world be better off when everyone is trying to make a buck off one another?
If he gets the house and then sells it, then he’s made a buck or two. Otherwise, he’s bartering. Nobody is being forced to trade with this guy.
> [@](#):
>
> Geez, I sound like a hippy. Don’t get me started on property flipping.
Get a haircut, you danged hippy!
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### Author:  [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/15 "2006-04-18T23:21:20Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#):
>
> “Turkistan, of course. Sorry, I would of replied earlier, but I was too busy reading His book.”
Are you sure you aren’t in [Turkmenistan](http://www.ruhnama.info/)? 🙂
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### Author:  [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/16 "2006-04-19T01:29:51Z")
i have this lovely dark blue metalic paper clip…
i saw the fellow on gma sunday. very interesting.
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### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/17 "2006-04-19T01:40:39Z")
Hey, I applaud his ingenuity, and I don’t think he’s wrong for exploting America’s desire for bizarre entertainment. If some people are willing to play along, how’s he harming anyone?
Much like that “She Bangs” guy, he’ll have his fifteen minutes, and come out of the experience a little bit more well-off. More power to him, I say.
Wish I’d thought of it myself.
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### Author:  [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/18 "2006-04-19T02:06:33Z")
Well, in reality, didn’t he get it for the paper clip plus all of the travel expenses?
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### Author:  [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/19 "2006-04-19T02:29:40Z")
So a guy is convincing people to give up things that they obviously didn’t value all that much personally, for things that he has currently. This is called “capitalism”. If you offer people something they want, they will give you something in exchange for it, even if one of those things you’re offering is something goofy like “participating in a geeky and fun social experiment.”
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-turn-a-paperclip-into-a-house/353140/20 "2006-04-19T02:42:30Z")
Wow. And I used to be impressed by the guy who started with a single Magic: the Gathering booster pack and traded his way up to a complete set of The Dark. This, though… Wow.
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