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For many educators, finding an innovative way to get your lesson across can be challenging, but for Jason Friedline, a business instructor at National American University in Independence, it can also be rewarding.
After reading the book by Kyle MacDonald, “One Red Paperclip,” Friedline thought, “If this guy could do it, why can’t I.”
MacDonald described in the book how he took a red paper clip from his desk and continued “trading up” until he traded a role in a movie for a house all just in a year.
Since Friedline didn’t think the challenge would go for just an ordinary paper clip on his desk where he works as a sales manager for the Christian radio station, The Light on KCWJ 1030 AM, he wrote to handfuls of national celebrities asking them to send a paper clip.
“I didn’t want to copy exactly what MacDonald did so I wrote to tons of celebrities such as Oprah, George Brett and (Donald) Trump,” said Friedline. “It took forever to hear back from anyone but finally, I got an autograph from Donald Trump with a gold paper clip enclosed.”
Friedline was inspired to work the ropes of the bartering system after he and his wife found out they were expecting a third child, and needed an SUV to carry his family around.
“When my wife suggested we needed a minivan, I said no way am I buying one of those things,” Friedline described on his Web site, GoldenPaperClip.com, where he has blogged and included videos and pictures of the journey of the project. “If you ever went on a date in the ’90s in a minivan you would know what I mean.”
The journey has taken Friedline across Kansas City and both sides of the state line.
Friedline started the experiment on Aug. 15, and made his first trade on Aug. 30 for an 18-foot canoe with a man in Columbia after he saw an ad on Craigslist from someone who had a friend who was a big Trump fan.
From the canoe, he traded up to mini-chopper motorcycle, then a Yerf-Dog go-kart, and then two computers.
Just before Thanksgiving, Friedline traded the computers for a gift certificate redeemable for a year’s worth of rent in a 2-bedroom apartment with Tina Jackson, manager of Appletree Apartments in Gladstone.
“After the go-kart, I realized I needed to start getting serious because I had been playing around for two months. The computers were kind of boring,” said Friedline, “so I got rid of them pretty fast.”
For many educators, finding an innovative way to get your lesson across can be challenging, but for Jason Friedline, a business instructor at National American University in Independence, it can also be rewarding.
After reading the book by Kyle MacDonald, “One Red Paperclip,” Friedline thought, “If this guy could do it, why can’t I.”
MacDonald described in the book how he took a red paper clip from his desk and continued “trading up” until he traded a role in a movie for a house all just in a year.
Since Friedline didn’t think the challenge would go for just an ordinary paper clip on his desk where he works as a sales manager for the Christian radio station, The Light on KCWJ 1030 AM, he wrote to handfuls of national celebrities asking them to send a paper clip.
“I didn’t want to copy exactly what MacDonald did so I wrote to tons of celebrities such as Oprah, George Brett and (Donald) Trump,” said Friedline. “It took forever to hear back from anyone but finally, I got an autograph from Donald Trump with a gold paper clip enclosed.”
Friedline was inspired to work the ropes of the bartering system after he and his wife found out they were expecting a third child, and needed an SUV to carry his family around.
“When my wife suggested we needed a minivan, I said no way am I buying one of those things,” Friedline described on his Web site, GoldenPaperClip.com, where he has blogged and included videos and pictures of the journey of the project. “If you ever went on a date in the ’90s in a minivan you would know what I mean.”
The journey has taken Friedline across Kansas City and both sides of the state line.
Friedline started the experiment on Aug. 15, and made his first trade on Aug. 30 for an 18-foot canoe with a man in Columbia after he saw an ad on Craigslist from someone who had a friend who was a big Trump fan.
From the canoe, he traded up to mini-chopper motorcycle, then a Yerf-Dog go-kart, and then two computers.
Just before Thanksgiving, Friedline traded the computers for a gift certificate redeemable for a year’s worth of rent in a 2-bedroom apartment with Tina Jackson, manager of Appletree Apartments in Gladstone.
“After the go-kart, I realized I needed to start getting serious because I had been playing around for two months. The computers were kind of boring,” said Friedline, “so I got rid of them pretty fast.”
Friedline was originally hoping to partner with a local car dealership to provide him with a vehicle and then work with dealership management to choose a family to give the gift certificate for a year’s worth of rent on Christmas Eve.
“I got pretty far but it didn’t work out,” said Friedline. “The auto industry isn’t doing that hot right now and I was scrunched for time, but I am still looking at ways to help a family in need.”
Friedline said he’s received a few offers for some older SUVs, but is in hopes of getting a newer one and working out something in order to help a family stay warm this winter.
“I was originally aiming at making a trade twice a month but I’ve learned not rush things. I made that mistake after trading the paper clip for a canoe, I received an offer for a four-wheeler,” said Friedline.
In the classroom, Friedline is using the experiment as a learning tool for his students in his marketing and economics courses.
“In economics we study how trade creates value, and this is shown in history before there was a currency, members would exchange items they created with others in their community with things they had made,” said Friedline. “In my marketing class, it teaches nontraditional marketing and how to market without spending money, how to spread the word and gain publicity for a product.”
MORE INFO
- National American University’s Independence campus is at 3620 Arrowhead Ave., in the area north of the Commerce Bank on 39th Street. Phone: 816-412-7700.
- KCWJ - The Light is a Christian radio station at 1030 AM. It broadcasts from Suite 530 of the Blue Ridge Tower at 4240 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City.
- Jason Friedline’s Web site: GoldenPaperClip.com
- “One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply” by Kyle Macdonald. Available at www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com. It is not currently in stock at the Independence Barnes and Noble.
