11:25am Thursday 16th August 2007
By Nick Lakeman
A CULCHETH man has set himself an almost impossible task - to start out with absolutely nothing and end up with a gleaming Rolls Royce!
Andrew Henderson says he will travel anywhere on earth if the deal is right.
And having quickly acquired a humble red bottle opener from a kind Greek shopkeeper called Spiros, in Zante, he has swapped his way to a rocking chair, nine original paintings, a crystal vase - and even a llama from someone in Wisconsin.
"I must admit I was tempted to bring Speedy back," the 42-year-old engineer, who is originally from Swindon, told the Warrington Guardian.
"But then I thought about the problems I'd have getting him into the country and decided against it.
"His owner, Sean, was willing to swap for anything he could get on his mantelpiece."
Speedy is just one of a plethora of items Andrew, of Medway Road, is willing to trade in return for anything unusual or fun.
He says the idea came after he heard about the man who started the craze back in Canada, Kyle MacDonald, who managed to trade up to a house from a lowly red paperclip in just over a year.
"I just thought it sounded like good fun so gave it a go," he says.
The pair got to meet when Kyle appeared on the Richard and Judy show and Andrew was in London.
The Canadian was trading with passers-by in the street when the TV crew picked out his trade with Andrew, who swapped his bottle opener for an old Metropolitan Police tin whistle.
Now, after 11 trades, some with people as far away as Ireland, Andrew has acquired 18 items.
And he remains determined to reach his goal of a Roller or even a Bentley, but first he's after something to help get him around.
"A little car would be nice!" he jokes.
To find out what Andrew has to swap, visit tradingnothing.com nick.lakeman@guardiangrp.co.uk
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