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Meet the TikToker Who Swapped a Bobby Pin for a Home

Inigo Del Castillo
Inigo Del Castillo
Inigo is a content writer at Apartment Therapy and previously for Lost At E Minor. A few years ago, he wrote an article about baby bats, which was so cute, Buzzfeed took a screenshot of the headline and cover image, then made a listicle about weird but adorable things. He…read more
published Dec 21, 2021
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These days, it feels like it would cost you an arm and a leg to acquire a home. But for one TikToker, her new home only cost her a bobby pin.

Demi Skipper of the Trade Me Project on TikTok has done the seemingly impossible task of trading a bobby pin for an entire house. Yes, you read that right. She started in May 2020 with a single bobby pin, and traded up for items like a pair of earrings and a set of margarita glasses. Soon, her trades got bigger and bigger.

In the two weeks since embarking on the project, Skipper had acquired a snowboard, an Apple TV, and even an Xbox One.

But she didn’t stop there. Eventually, she got her hands on some really ridiculous items, such as a MacBook, a Canon camera, several pairs of collector sneakers, and an iPhone.

Skipper had a few setbacks along the way, unknowingly trading down for a leaky car and a fake necklace — which she had traded a Mini Cooper for!

Although disappointed, she kept going and acquired a Peloton, a Ford Mustang, a tractor, a year’s supply of Chipotle (!!), and a tiny cabin, among other deals. Finally, after 28 trades, she accomplished her dream swap — $40,000 for a single-story home in Clarksville, Tennessee.

“For a lot of people, homeownership feels far out of reach, so the entire journey was just about proving it was possible to trade a single bobby pin for a house,” Skipper told House Beautiful.

And the most unbelievable part about this story? She’s trading her new house for a bobby pin. “After meeting so many amazing people along this journey, I’ve made the decision to trade the house to someone who really needs it — for a bobby pin,” she explained. “Meaning that person will get the new home, and I will get a bobby pin to start the journey all over again.”

Skipper took inspiration from Kyle MacDonald, who came up with the original challenge back in 2006, trading up from a red paperclip to a two-story farmhouse. “I’d love to be the first person who is crazy enough to do it twice,” added Skipper.

With the self-motivation it took to complete her first swapping journey, there’s no doubt she can achieve it yet again.

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