Somalina Posted July 20, 2010 By Rebecca Kimitch, Staff Writer Posted: 07/16/2010 02:16:20 PM PDT Steven Oritz, 17, stands next to his 2000 Porsche Boxster S at his home in Glendora on Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Ortiz successfully traded an old phone for a convertible Porsche over the course of two years by successfully trading up for better and better things on Craigslist. (SGVN/Staff photo by Watchara Phomicinda) GLENDORA - Seventeen-year-old Steven Ortiz is fairly sure he is the only student at Charter Oak High School who drives a convertible Porsche to school. And, to the surprise of some of his friends, it doesn't belong to his parents. Steven started with an old cell phone and eventually traded up to his impressive ride. It didn't happen overnight, but with the help of the Craigslist website and a lot of patience, Steven made 14 online swaps over two years to get his 2000 Porsche Boxster S. Steven is part of a growing number of people who use the barter section of Craigslist to unload unwanted items and acquire desired goods, rather than just buying and selling them. But he does more than just make a casual posting to swap concert tickets or an old bike. He spends five to six hours a day on his i-Phone scouring the website for good deals. "I get so many people who say, `Can you trade my phone for a car?' I just say, `Yeah. It's not that easy,"' he said. Steven started his lucrative journey when his friend gave him an old cell phone - the sort most people would throw away or shove into a junk drawer. He traded that phone for a better phone, which he then traded for an i-Pod touch. He traded that for a series of dirt bikes, a MacBook Pro, and a 1987 Toyota 4Runner. At the time, Steven was just 15 and unable to drive his new acquisition. So he quickly swapped it out for a souped-up off-road golf cart, another more valuable dirt bike, a streetbike, then a series of cars ending with a 1975 Ford Bronco. He spent a few months enjoying each acquisition before determining he was looking for something else. It was that Bronco that got him the Porsche. Because some older Broncos are considered collectibles, Steven estimated his was worth $15,000. He got offered all manner of trades - including a locksmith business - for the Bronco. The Porsche, worth about $9,000, was actually a trade down. See his picture here Welcome to the future billionaries club kid! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
