In a world where many teens seem to lack both patience and common sense, one teen in Glendora, CA, demonstrated both masterfully.
Steven Ortiz, 17, used Craigslist to trade his way up from an old cell phone to a Porsche. It took him 2 years of bartering like mad, but it appears that the effort was worth it. He’s the only student at Charter Oak High School who drives a Porsche to school.
His path from old cell phone to Porsche included working his way up to an iPod, then a MacBook Pro laptop. Eventually, Ortiz traded up from electronics to dirt bikes, then cars and trucks, and an SUV.
“A lot of my friends are jealous,” Ortiz said. “A lot of my friends come up to me and tell me, ‘You want to trade my phone for a car? Try to get me a Ferrari.’ I tell them it’s not that easy. It takes time and patience, definitely.”
Ortiz’s skill at identifying a good deal started years ago when he would buy cell phones off of his friends. At $30 each, he would turn around and sell the used cell phones online for three times the amount he paid. He also picked up a knack for repairing electronics, which enabled him to take something that was almost worthless and get it functioning again.
Eventually, Ortiz discovered bartering. Many people online are looking for ways to exchange something they don’t need in order to get something they do need. These same people often realize that they can get more through bartering than through selling the item for cash.
“A lot of people don’t have money right now, in this economy. So they think, `I really need a new phone, but I don’t have the money. Here I have this CD player lying around that I don’t use anymore, maybe I can trade,”‘ Steven’s father Esteban explained.
Like many Americans, the Ortiz family has been hit hard by the economy. But with his uncanny ability to scour the Web for incredible deals, Steven Ortiz has still managed to get whatever he wants, despite facing economic hardship.
* * *
Read more Automotive News.
(Hat tip: Paul)
{ 1 trackback }
{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I’m with citizen. He needs to fork over the dough to Uncle Sam.
so if i wan a porche i ll jus ask daddy, hes already gotten me a ferrari and a hummer
Funny how many pathetic haters on here have nothing but bad stuff to say. Normally, I wouldn’t even comment. But I just had to make a point of this…misery loves company. All the people hating on here are probably bored with pathetic lifes driving around in beat up honda civics. Keep hating…it just makes people like this work harder….Good work kid. I wish I could have done that when I was 17.
These Americans are crazy
I have that shirt he’s wearing in the video
This is amazing and surely it does take patience, lots of negotiating & time. My husband does this on a daily basis. Purchases a car, flips it to sell it for a profit then goes on to purchase more and over and over again. He is very successful at that too. I asked him just recently how he does it and his first words were “Patience”. He sells so many things even to hunting campers. I get a kick out of it.
I am proud of this kid that worked his way up the chain “the comments about his weight….. Not good…. I sense a little jealousy in the room here”
This kid will prove more responsibility and skill on negotiating than the ones that are commenting about his weight. Big or Not… He is driving a Porsche and your are not!!!
Just my 2 sense!
Jen
That is some serious skill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_red_paperclip
It’s amazing what a little drive can get you HA Puns.
Personally, I’m proud of the kid, heavy or not it takes a lot of effort to pull something like this off.
Good for him.
So how does this kid pay for auto insurance on that Porsche? It’s illegal to drive in CA without insurance, and rates for a teenage boy in a sports car are OUTRAGEOUS. I don’t think he can trade old cellphones to State Farm…
Big friggin deal, some guy did the same thing 10 years ago, except he started with a paperclip and got a house!
A little better than a car.
Damn, I’m that dumb kid that sold the cell phone for $30, when it cost me $240 just months ago in another country. Young man I would like to have 1000 people with your “patience”, know how, and intelligence to run my company.
As for the ney-sayers, I guess you already know that you’ll find them everywhere. While they worry about your weight and insurance, they’ll be buying your new (my 2 mths old) cell phone for top dollar.
Way to go bro, next I wanna read your book of strategies.
i love the comments that are like “he could’ve been a lawyer or a doctor”
–yeah, because all the lawyers i know were studying for the bar in tenth grade.
what have you people to say about the kids (myself included) who are sitting around on their asses all day (when they’re not in school)?
to the guy who thinks he should’ve traded for something more “practical,” instead of a “rapidly depreciating object, such as a car” — what, perchance, would you suggest? and would you, at age 17, had you been given the choice between a porsche and [whatever it was you think is more practical], chosen the latter? if so, you’re just a boring loser, so stop hatin. if not, you’re [were] a normal teenage boy, so stop hatin.
God bless capitalism! Way to go kid!!!
oh my god people. all i can picture in my head I read “he should report it to the IRS” or “that kid needs a treadmill,” is a bitter self loathing goddamn loser that has never done anything remotely this clever so all you can do is compensate for feeling inadequate by attacking someone who is ahead of the curve. It is common throughout history that the greatest minds are criticized by lesser, simpler men because they feel threatened and angry with themselves for their own inability to create as much for themselves. and i guarantee that behind every fat joke is hiding a self-loather who could stand to lose a few pounds themselves. people like me and my boy Ortiz are used to your jealousy and make no apologies for our ability to be better and smarter than you, the common man. way to go Ortiz! i’m sorry that people can’t handle the fact that you can make something for yourself, and that you just might end up owning the company they work their miserable job at someday. it scares them to know there are people who or smarter and more adaptable than they are. threatening indeed
Now I’m not trying to “hate,” but if anything on that car breaks, he is screwed, expensive cars lend to expensive replacement parts. Still, I wouldn’t bet against him if he needed to find anything.
who was the idiot who traded their Porsche for an old Bronco?
This article was great, the kid…..smart as hell!
Still we can all see how someone’s success breeds hate in others. One thing that stands out the most in society right now is pure hate. It doesnt matter what good anyone has done. There is someone out there always prepared to spread their petty hate and attempt to make someone else’s effort seem worthless.
The kid is 17 and parlayed a phone into a Porsche, and Iknow from experiance that having a nice car will certainly get you some good and dirty looks, especially when your 17 and ROLLING!
FYI, LETS GIVE IT UP TO ALL THE LAMES WHO TRY TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THE KID SPENT 2 YEARS OUT OF SCHOOL TO TRADE UP FOR A PORSCHE…..dumbfenpeople man, grow up!
Yeah, go ask your daddy. Spoiled brat. Have fun in the real world when you have no idea what to do because your daddy fixed everything for you!
I think this kid shows some real skill- hell, do you what you need to right? he gets my thumbs up!
He traded alright. He traded some weed for a gun, then carjacked a white guy for the car. Spics aren’t smart enough to pull things like this off.
man there’s some jealous people out there i would like to see one of you punks do half as good as this 17 year old kid i say if you can do it do it if you can’t then keep your mouth shut
You guys are all ridiculous with this “good luck on insurance” nonsense. I’m sure he has enough money to pay it since hes not paying monthly payments on a car. Haters just mad because this kid has a nice car and your driving around in a Chrysler Town and Country struggling to pay your bills.
It just takes some hustle and not sleeping in till noon and playing on facebook. Although not quite the same, my story involves driving people to work – I always figured I’m going anyway. Couple years ago, I had one guy in a ford escort, then it was five in a windstar, today I had 25 completely fill a small shuttle bus and I’ve just bought a used 36 passenger coach, so I’ll have to start taking this soon. Not only am I making twice what I make at my ‘real’ job, I’m keeping a lot of cars off the road – all without a dime from government. Way to go kid!
I find it amazing that the first thing Citizen thinks of is “he better pay taxes” sigh. “Gift taxes” are ridiculous.
I bet you support the estate tax as well. Your parents save their whole lives to be able to hand something over to you when they die and the Government taxes it. Not to mention that income that was saved over their lifetime has been taxed to death already, gotta get em one more time on the way out. Estate taxes hurt the middle class more than anyone. Let’s say the average house is around $100,000 and you inherit that when your parents die.
“For amounts over $100,000 but not over $150,000, the tentative tax is $23,800 plus 30% of the excess over $100,000.”
The average middle class American who inherits the family home owes the Government nearly 24 thousand dollars for their trouble. One quarter of your inheritance… insane.
I can’t believe everybody’s giving him credit for this. One Red Paperclip rip off, and One Red Paperclip was so much better anyways. A Paperclip to a house is crazy.
I’m doing the same thing with a twist. I’m starting with an iPhone and trying to pay off my debts. I started a blog and twitter to document it all. I’ll be letting readers help evaluate my trade offers and interact along the way. Check it out: http://www.craigstrade.com http://www.twitter.com/craigstrade
← Previous Comments