July 21, 201015 yr Boy, 17, turns mobile phone into a Porsche after series of online trades over two years By Richard Luscombe Last updated at 5:31 PM on 21st July 2010 Comments (23) Add to My Stories For most teenagers, swapping an old mobile phone with a friend for the latest Justin Bieber album or Twilight movie might be considered a good trade. But 17-year-old Steven Ortiz set his sights a little higher, and – after a series of swaps - is now driving himself to school in a Porsche. The youngster started exchanging items two years ago after a schoolmate gave him an unwanted phone. Proud: Steven Ortiz driving the trade Porsche that didn't cost him a penny Through a series of online swaps using Craigslist, Steven said he worked his way up through newer phones, laptop computers, street bikes and even a 4x4 before landing the prized Porsche convertible. ‘I get so many people who say, ‘Can you swap my phone for a car?’’ said Steven, who is the envy of his friends at Charter Oak High School in Pasadena, California, when he drives the sleek silver sports car proudly into the students’ car park each morning. ‘I just say, "Yeah, it’s not that easy."' Steven cultivated a love for online trading long before embarking on the swaps that led to the Porsche. As a young teenager, he would buy friends’ unwanted mobile phones for around £20, spruce them up and sell them over the internet for three times that amount, according to the Pasadena Star-News. His father, Esteban Ortiz, said that Steven was also useful to have around when the family needed something like a new washing machine or tumble dryer, using his nose for a bargain to pick up somebody’s discarded appliance for next to nothing and fixing it up cheaply. ‘I think this is teaching him something. I want him to go to college, make something of his life. ‘He is learning the value of things, responsibility and negotiation skills,’ his father told the newspaper. Top of the swaps: Steven with his Porsche at his house in Pasadena, California The series of trades that led to the Porsche began when Steven swapped his friend’s unwanted mobile for a newer model. He moved on to an iPod Touch, a MacBook Pro, a dirt bike and a number of vehicles, starting with a 20-year-old Toyota 4x4 and eventually receiving a 1975 Ford Bronco, considered a collector’ s item. He bagged his first car at 15, but was too young to drive, so traded for a souped up golf cart before moving back into cars when he got his licence a year ago. Steven said that swapping the Bronco, worth about £10,000 at the time, for the 2000 Porsche was actually a trade down because the car was valued at £6,000. Another downside is the running costs. He must pay £100 every time the Porsche needs an oil change, and up to $1,000 for a routine service. His next trade, he says, is likely to be for a car that is cheaper to run. Steven, however, still has some way to go before matching the achievement of Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who became famous four years ago for turning a single red paperclip into a two-storey farmhouse through a number of trades. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1296572/Boy-17-turns-mobile-Porsche-series-online-trades-years.html#ixzz0uLesOBhC
July 21, 201015 yr It's good, but not as good as the man whom swapped a paperclip into a house (via 15 other swaps) ;)
July 22, 201015 yr It's only a 10 year old Boxster. Hardly like hes got a brand new GT2 on his driveway!
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