Teen's Baffling Craigslist Move Ends Up Making Him A Fortune

Every kid learns the art of the swap. From trading snacks in the lunchroom to swapping game cards, we all figure out the value of bargaining early on. And Steven Ortiz, a teenager from Glendora, California, knew a good trade when he saw one. That's how, using Craigslist, he turned a single iPhone into a reward no one could comprehend.

Craigslist trade

At just 15 years old, Steve set out to prove he had the stuff to be a bona fide barter king. Specifically, his goal was to take an item, list it on Craigslist, and see if he could get a more valuable item exclusively by trading with other posters. Then, he would take that item and trade it for another more expensive item. But how far could he feasibly get? 

He did it on his own

Pretty far, if he played the game right. This was a challenge Steve took on completely alone. Granted, his parents occasionally peeked over his shoulder out of curiosity, but didn't get involved. While they supported and made sure he proceeded safely, every swap was solely a decision made by the teenager, and even better, he didn't have to spend a dime.

Spent no money

That's right, the item Steve decided to start his up-trading journey with came at no cost. His friend gave him an old cellphone, and from there, he was off to the races. Just like MacDonald, Steve took to the barter section of Craigslist searching for his first potential trade.

The first trade

Steve put in the hours, carefully scanning Craigslist and considering his moves. Finally, he found a promising bite — a swap for an iPod Touch. While today this might seem like a fair trade, a piece of dated tech for an old cellphone, it's even more impressive that the 15-year-old started his online swaps back in 2008.