Kyle Macdonald wanted a house. All he had was one red paperclip. Not about to let that disparity in circumstances stand in the way of his dream, Macdonald began trading. Now, more than eight months later, Macdonald is in possession of a recording contract, having already dealt away a snowmobile and a cube van. Macdonald’s quest, outlined in great detail on his personal weblog, has drawn attention from around the world, including one local man.

Kevin Lazzari has a goal too, perhaps less grandiose than Macdonald’s, but inspired by the story of one red paperclip, Lazzari is attempting to follow on this success here in Jasper.

“I just thought it was simple ... start small, think big is what he says, and that formula has been working for him,” Lazzari said. As someone who pays careful attention to the latest trends and popular phenomena on the internet, Lazzari was aware of Macdonald and his trading game for some time, but it wasn’t until he got in touch with the Montreal man that he started one of his own.

“He’s already given me suggestions. He’s linked me to his site and he said that I should get onto Craig’s List for Edmonton (a popular internet service and trading site) to get my site going, because a lot of people from Edmonton come out to Jasper,” Lazzari said.

Like Macdonald, Lazzari decided to begin with a paper clip, although his was blue. He posted his first entry on February 6 and by February 18, had made his first trade, for a telephone. That might seem a far cry from a snowmobile or a recording contract, but Lazzari understands that patience is key in internet trading. 

“I’ve been watching his (Macdonald’s) website for a long time and it just started snowballing for the guy,” he said. “It’s just starting to escalate now for me.” Indeed just days after acquiring the phone, Lazzari was making another exchange, this one for two prints of aboriginal art that had been the property of Michael Mitchell.

“Two days ago, Mike came in to rent a movie; he’s a real internet guy, like me, and we got talking and one thing led to another,” Lazzari said.

Eventually, Lazzari would like to end up with a professional-quality digital video camera, as he wants to start making documentaries and short films. Having worked in the Video Stop for many years, and before that as a projectionist at the Chaba Theatre, Lazzari has long had a passion for film, but only recently became interested in the production side of the art form.

“I went to visit Kirby Morrow (a former Jasper resident and filmmaker) in Vancouver and he has started doing things for himself and he told me that was the way to go,” he said. “Look at Matt Damon and Ben Affleck — they make their own stuff, they don’t wait for someone else to give them a break... so I thought, that’s kind of cool, why not do it yourself?”

Lazzari’s trading project is just one of many linked to the one red paper clip website, and most seem to be moving at a snail’s pace compared to the original. This might have something to do with the fact that Macdonald is willing to go anywhere to complete a trade. He recently drove his cube van right across the country to make the exchange for a recording contract in Toronto. Lazzari, for one, is restricting himself to trades he can make in Jasper and the immediate area.

“I’ve got a family and kids here, and anyway, I was thinking that people might want to visit Jasper to make a trade,” he said.

Art collectors or the generally curious can check out Lazzari’s website at www.onebluepaperclip.com. In the meantime, Lazzari will continue to watch Macdonald’s progress towards his own goal.

“I think the guy’s a genuis and I just copied his idea,” he said, “Who knows, maybe one day if he’s on the east coast and I’m out here in the West we can get together and trade something big!”