On July 12, 2005, while living in Montreal, Kyle Macdonald launched an unlikely sequence of online trades which would earn both him and Kipling places in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Starting with a single redpaper clip, the young entrepreneur began “trading up”: the paper clip for a fish-shaped pen; the pen for a unique door knob and the door knob for a camp stove.
This he swapped for a generator, which was subsequently traded for a keg party.
Ensuing trades were for a snowmobile, a snowmobiling adventure to Yahk, BC,
A cube van, a recording contract, a year’s condo rental in Phoenix, AZ, then for a day with Alice Cooper.
The entrepreneur next arranged for a double switch with
Actor-Director Corbin Bernsen, an avid collector, who agreed to accept a “KISS” snow globe in exchange for a role in an upcoming Hollywood movie.
The movie role was offered online and Bert Roach, who was Kipling’s Economic Development Officer at the time, proposed to Council that an offer be made. After some negotiation, Kipling traded the house at 503 Main Street in exchange for the movie role. That final trade was made on July 12, 2006, one year to the day after Kyle Macdonald had begun his world record trade sequence with a single paper clip. The house itself is now most often referred to as “The Red Paper Clip House”.
As a part of the terms of the trade, Kipling also erected the World’s Largest Red Paper Clip, which was unveiled July 12, 2007.
BENEFITS TO KIPLING
As a result of having traded the house at 503 Main St. for a movie role:
- Our town has been showcased internationally in the news media.
- Kipling has appeared in many magazines, the 2007 “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”.
- Recognized in the 2007 “Guinness Book of Records” for the best internet trade.
- The Town of Kipling has also received its certificate from Guinness for building the World’s Largest Paper Clip, which stands in our lovely Bell Park at 6th Ave. It is 15’2” tall and weighs 3043 lbs.
- We have had a commercial for Volkswagen in Spain filmed here as well.
- Kipling and “the trade” have been featured on internet spots such as “What Makes Canada Cool”
- We frequently have tourists stop to take photos in front of the “Paper Clip House” at 503 Main St. and at the big paper clip in Bell Park.
- The trade has resulted in at least four movie-related boosts to our town:
- The Big Red Paper Clip appears in a scene in “One Week”, starring Joshua Jackson, wherein the star is touring on his motorcycle;
- Local resident Nolan Hubbard went to Hollywood and appears in the movie “Donna On Demand” after having been selected by Corbin Bernsen from auditions here, back in 2007.
- Mr. Bernsen has returned and filmed a feature length movie “Rust”, in which he stars and a considerable number of local actors and extras make their film debuts.
- Kipling Film Productions Inc. was formed to finance “Rust” and is being kept alive with a view to producing more movies in the town and district.
