{{Short description|Web series on TikTok}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Bobby pin.jpg | caption = A bobby pin, like this one, was the item Skipper offered in her first trade | creator = Demi Skipper | inspired_by = One Red Paperclip | network = TikTok | first_aired = {{Start date|2020|05|18}} | last_aired = present }}
The '''Trade Me Project''' was a TikTok account created by Demi Skipper that sought to trade a bobby pin for a house.<ref>{{Cite news|title=How To Trade-up From A Bobby Pin To A House : The Indicator from Planet Money|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/23/1030447867/how-to-trade-up-from-a-bobby-pin-to-a-house|access-date=October 23, 2021}}</ref> The project began as a TikTok series on May 18, 2020.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=A guy once swapped a paper clip to get a house. This woman is trying to do the same.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/08/20/guy-once-swapped-paperclip-house-this-woman-is-trying-do-same/|work=The Washington Post|date=August 20, 2020|access-date=November 27, 2025|issn=0190-8286|language=en-US|last=Free|first=Cathy}}</ref> The idea for the project is based on the project by Kyle MacDonald that traded a red paperclip for a house. The idea is not to directly trade a bobby pin for a house, but rather to trade each item for a new item of slightly higher value.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|title=A TikToker with a bobby pin made 28 trades for a house. Now, she plans to do it all over again.|language=en-US|work=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/15/tiktok-bobby-pin-trade-me-project-house/|access-date=December 30, 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
The series concluded in December 2021 when Demi Skipper made her last trade for a house, with a total of 28 trades having been made. Skipper states that she plans to renovate the house, and then "trade the house for a bobby-pin". Adding, "I'm going to give the house away to somebody who really needs it".<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernández |first=Abbey |date=January 15, 2022 |title=‘Trade Me Project' TikToker Looks to Trade Home for Bobby Pin |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/digital-originals/trade-me-project-tiktoker-looks-to-trade-home-for-bobby-pin/2778020/ |access-date=December 8, 2025 |website=NBC Bay Area |language=en-US}}</ref> She has also said that, after giving the house away, she plans to attempt it a second time.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Winters|first=Mike|date=December 22, 2021|title=This TikToker started with a 1¢ bobby pin and bartered it all the way up to an $80,000 house|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/22/tiktoker-started-with-a-bobby-pin-and-bartered-her-way-to-a-house.html|access-date=December 31, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref>
== Trades == Skipper took 28 trades and around a year and a half to trade her way up from the bobby pin to the house.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trade Me Project: TikToker's 28-swap journey gets her a Tennessee home from just a bobby pin|url=https://abc13.com/post/trade-me-project-tiktok-bobby-pin-to-a-house-demi-skipper-bay-area/11338728/|website=ABC13 Houston|date=December 14, 2021|access-date=November 27, 2025|language=en}}</ref> She had imposed a rule on the trades that they could not be made with any person she already knew, and that money could not be used in any transaction.<ref name=":1" /> However, she would cover shipping expenses when they applied.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Tailor |first=Neelam |date=May 12, 2021 |title=Trading up: one woman’s quest to swap a hairpin for a house |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/may/12/demi-skipper-bobby-pin-trade-house |access-date=December 11, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Skipper said she spent hours researching trades, which she contrasted with the short-form nature of her TikTok posts that were one minute long.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yamada |first=Haley |date=July 8, 2020 |title=Woman hopes her 'trade me' project will turn her bobby pin into a house |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/woman-hopes-trade-project-turn-bobby-pin-house/story?id=71578253 |access-date=December 9, 2025 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> Skipper also noted the trust necessary for the project to work, hoping that others would follow through with trades after items were shipped out. She said that no one had ever scammed her in such a way.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Detrow |first=Scott |date=December 19, 2021 |title=A TikTok user traded a bobby pin for a house |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/12/19/1065626423/a-tiktok-user-traded-a-bobby-pin-for-a-house |access-date=December 12, 2025 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> The initial trades were made around San Francisco, before including trades made across the United States. The final trade was for a house outside Nashville, Tennessee on November 26, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|title=TikToker Demi Skipper trades up from a hairpin to a house|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59683084|date=December 16, 2021|access-date=November 27, 2025|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=TikToker Demi Skipper trades up her hair pin to a house in 28 swaps {{!}} Virgin Radio UK|url=https://virginradio.co.uk/lifestyle/42123/tiktoker-demi-skipper-trades-up-her-hair-pin-to-a-house-in-28-swaps|website=virginradio.co.uk|date=December 17, 2021|access-date=November 28, 2025|language=en}}</ref>
The trades had some controversies among her fans. Her choice to trade a set of three tractors for Chipotle Celebrity Cards, valued at about $20,000, drew criticism from her followers. Viewers said she would never be able to trade it with someone for an item of comparable value. She later traded the card for an off-the-grid home worth about $40,000.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|title=From hairpin to house: woman who mastered ‘trading up’ realizes dream|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/11/demi-skipper-trade-me-project-bobby-pin-house|work=The Guardian|date=December 11, 2021|access-date=November 28, 2025|issn=0261-3077|language=en-GB|first=Neelam|last=Tailor}}</ref>
The final trade came from a viewer of Skipper's; she was a house flipper. She had been waiting for the "right trade" to make an offer.<ref name=":3" />
=== List of Trades === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Trade No. !Item !Value (USD) !Citation |- |1 |Bobby pin |0.01 | rowspan="29" |<ref name=":0" /> |- |2 |Pair of Mary Sol earrings |10 |- |3 |4 margarita glasses |24 |- |4 |Bissel vacuum cleaner |60 |- |5 |Snowboard |95 |- |6 |Apple TV 4K |180 |- |7 |Bose noise-cancelling wireless headphones |220 |- |8 |X-Box One (including accessories) |320 |- |9 |Macbook Pro |400 |- |10 |Canon T6 camera (including accessories) |550 |- |11 |Nike Blazer shoes |750 |- |12 |Nike Hyperdunk shoes |850 |- |13 |Nike Air Jordan 1 shoes |950 |- |14 |iPhone 11 Pro Max |1,050 |- |15 |2008 Dodge Grand Caravan |1,000 |- |16 |Boosted Plus electric skateboard |1,200 |- |17 |Macbook Pro (newer than in previous trade) |1,800 |- |18 |Food cart bike |3,800 |- |19 |2006 Mini Cooper Convertible |5,000 |- |20 |Diamond and sapphire necklace |1,600 |- |21 |Peloton bike |1,800 |- |22 |2006 Ford Mustang GT Deluxe |4,500 |- |23 |2011 Jeep Patriot Sport |6,000 |- |24 |Tiny cabin |10,000 |- |25 |2011 Honda CR-V |11,500 |- |26 |3 tractor trailers |12,600 |- |27 |Chipotle Celebrity Cards |18,250 |- |28 |Off-grid trailer |40,000 |- |29 |House |80,000 |}
== Reactions == Skipper's account received one million followers within the first week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cicchiello |first=Christopher |date=October 5, 2020 |title=Meet the woman bringing the 'trade up' challenge to the TikTok generation |url=https://www.today.com/money/trade-me-project-brings-one-red-paperclip-challenge-tiktok-t192203 |access-date=December 8, 2025 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref>
She received help from her fans storing and transporting items throughout the duration of the project. She also received several negative comments from others. She thanked her husband for supporting her throughout the journey, and said that the negative comments added to her resolve to complete the project so she could prove them wrong.<ref>{{Cite web|title=I traded my way from a bobby pin to a house and gained 5 million TikTok followers in the process — here's how|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trade-me-project-bobby-pin-for-house-tiktok-year-2022-1|website=Business Insider|access-date=November 29, 2025|language=en-US|first=Sarah|last=Prager}}</ref> Skipper stated she would receive 1,000 messages on Instagram every day, often with offers to support the project without proposing a trade.<ref name=":4" />
== References == {{reflist}} Category:American TikTokers Category:Entertainers from San Francisco