'Sweet revenge': Why Demi Skipper had to return her first trade of 2026

When an unexpected message popped into Demi Skipper’s inbox, two words stood out.

It was earlier this week when the American influencer best known for trading a single bobby pin for a house first read the note on Instagram.

It was from a woman named Mariette. She had an offer for Skipper.

This was not the first time the product manager had been contacted by a stranger on social media.

It has been a regular occurrence over the last six years.

Skipper, from San Francisco, captivated millions with her Trade Me Project during the 2020 pandemic when she bartered 28 items over 18-months.

She was inspired by Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger, who traded a red paperclip for a house back in 2006.

For her project, Skipper started with a hair pin and ended with a house in Tennessee.

She was motivated to repeat the project in 2026 after an unfortunate ending for her final trade.

Earlier this week, Skipper – who now lives and works in Amsterdam in the Netherlands – traded a newly framed hair pin with a woman named Josephine for a pair of cookie cutters.

She made her second trade shortly after. 

In a strange turn of events, Mariette, Josephine’s mother, contacted Skipper offering a lamp for the return of the cookie cutters.

“I just saw Josephine traded the cookie cutters I gave her for Xmas for a Bobbie Pin. How about if I trade those cutters with you for a … my sweet revenge,” Mariette’s message read.

Skipper instantly agreed to travel to meet Mariette for her second trade.

“:A couple of days ago I made a trade for a cookie cutters with Josephine and what Josephine doesn’t know is that her mum reached out and is interested in getting the cookie cutters back,” Skipper said in a video posted to Instagram.

“So now we’re meeting with Josephine’s mum and headed to make a trade.”

Skipper traded the kitchen accessories back to Mariette for a beautiful table lamp that Mariette had bought in Japan.

“I think if this trade has taught me anything it’s just the magic of random strangers,” Skipper said. 

“I don’t know, it just continues to be such a crazy, fun journey. Let’s get this house.”

Skipper is now working on her third trade.