When I was 17, my car was a Honda Civic, which was a year older than I was. It was brilliant, a small simple car that would do anything and everything I wanted it to, and I only paid my wonderful and caring sister-in-law $20 for it. I thought I got a pretty good deal, but then I read the story of Steven Ortiz.
This 17 year old does not drive an elderly Honda, but a Porsche Boxster. He paid even less than I did, since the long road to the car started with a free cell phone. Two years and a series of fourteen trades later, and he found himself behind the wheel of his Porsche, making his way there using only Craigslist and some smart trading skills.
Now, in the interests of full disclosure, this isn't a brand new Porsche with every option. It's a 2000 model, and the maintenance costs are making Ortiz consider what people might give him for the car. Still, a Porsche at 17 is still an impressive feat, especially considering that most people at that age are driving something as old as they are, or owned by their parents. My Honda might have been fantastic in every way, but considering the self-destructing Mustangs and Mercurys my friends drove at the same time, it's a lot better than the cars most people of that age find themselves behind the wheel of.
Of course, this isn't the first time someone has traded their way from something small and seemingly worthless to something valuable. Everyone has heard of the guy who went from a red paper clip to home ownership. There's a difference though, the paper clip guy had publicity, people watched his trades and he promoted his site quite well. Ortiz didn't, his trades relied on a talent for sniffing out deals, and he didn't have help from any fan base.
The story illustrates two things. One, people are remarkably willing to trade seemingly useless things. Old phones don't seem very worthwhile, and maybe they're not, but somehow they wrapped their way around to a complete, fully functional sports car. It makes me wonder what my own useless crap could net me in the future, and if I could somehow turn my love of impulse buying borderline useless things into something I actually want or need. My shelves of films I will never watch again really could be valuable to someone, and the assortment of old computer parts I was about to throw out might have some use yet. It's the kind of thing that makes you reconsider tossing your old things, just because it could be valuable for something.
The second thing is that if you know what you're trying to get, it's possible to get anything you might want. I know my own nephews are getting to the age where they're dreaming of their own vehicle. Still, as none of them have their license yet, they've got time to start plotting out trades and moving towards some kind of motorized conveyance. They might not have any money, but they do have video games and other things which they might be able to start trading up with.
I might never go through the effort of getting a Porsche through the power of internet trading. That does not matter though, since at least I know it's possible. It might seem ridiculous to get a full blown car from an old phone, but just by being clever, one kid pulled it off. It's something to think about when you're throwing out old things.
