While most people are complaining about the economy like old crotchety people, some people are actually using it to their advantage – like 17-year-old Steven Ortiz who got a Porsche without spending any money.
Ortiz got “an old cell phone” from a friend, as reported by Jalopnik.com, and decided to go on Craigslist to try to barter it for a better phone. He managed to get an iPod Touch. This was the beginning of the chain…
– He traded the iPod Touch for a dirtbike
– He traded the dirtbike for another dirtbike
– He kept trading and upgrading dirtbikes
– Eventually, he traded a dirtbike for a MacBook Pro
– The MacBook Pro was traded for a Toyota 4Runner
– The Toyota 4Runner was traded for an off-road golf cart
– The golf cart was traded for a really nice dirtbike
– That dirt bike was traded for a motorcycle
– The motorcycle was traded for a car
– After a few car swaps, he ended up with a 1975 Ford Bronco
– And finally… he traded the Bronco for a 2000 Porsche Boxster
Apparently people on Craigslist are willing to trade high-ticket stuff for a lower valued item that they want or need more. After all, we all get bored of everything after a while, so it makes sense to trade something that’s just sitting in a basement or garage in exchange for something new, even if it’s not as valuable.
That holds especially true in this economy, where people are losing a lot of their discretionary income.
In total, Ortiz made 14 trades to turn a cell phone into a Porsche. The craziest part is that when he started all of this, he wasn’t even old enough to drive. He was 15 when he made his first online deal. Now, 2 years later, he’s the envy of everyone at his high school.
I wonder what he’ll trade the Porsche in for…
