Getting an old Honda motorcycle to work was no easy task for Grafton Derryberry. In fact, he says, it took days of work.
“Probably a good 24 to 48 hours for this little thing to work,” Derryberry said.
But a little elbow grease was nothing compared to how he’d bought it. He bought the bike by exchanging a thumbtack – with the aim of mastering a “trading challenge” until he can pay for a wedding location. The catch is that he cannot exchange the items for cash or offer cash as part of the trade.
What you need to know
- Grafton Derryberry has launched its own version of the “Thumbtack Trading Challenge”
- As part of this challenge, Grafton will trade in a thumbtack until he can pay for a wedding venue for himself and his fiancée
- The catch: he can’t accept or trade cash
“I laughed first. I thought I would go to a toaster and be done, ”he said with a laugh.
The thumbtack was exchanged for a hunting knife; later he traded for an antique radio, a go-kart and finally a motorcycle. It’s valued at nearly $ 3,000, according to Derryberry.
“It brings the old to a new light,” he says. “Everything has a new life after you’ve put time into it. Even the car I drive is old, it’s forgotten, but you put in it and it works. “
This idea first came from Grafton and his fiancée’s favorite TV show, “The Office”. But this is not the first time he’s doing something like this.
“That’s how I bought her wedding ring. I had a bike before, ”he said. “I think you have to give up something you like for something you want further and better.”
Challenges like these can be seen on the internet and are attracting a lot of attention on TikTok.
“I’ve asked people, ‘Do you take cash for the bike?’ I said no and they say, ‘Well, your loss … I have nothing to trade, but I’ll give you money,’ ”he said.
However, he can fix the items and get them working like he did with the motorcycle. Derryberry says his ability to work with his hands was well used during his military service. It was also something he grew up doing with his father.
“My dad and I worked on cars as a kid, so I have that knowledge. But every thing has a different challenge, so there is something new to learn on every trade, ”said Derryberry.
His soon-to-be father-in-law, Brian Nichols, says he’s excited to help his daughter’s fiancé do something so special.
“I occasionally geocache which is an online treasure hunt. It wasn’t a crazy idea, but I thought it was pretty cool, ”said Nichols.
While many of these online challenges linger until the person gets a house, Grafton has something far more sentimental in mind.
“It’s always hard, especially when you need money to pay for a wedding. But I think the longer I wait the more it will mean, ”he added.
If you are interested in trading with Derryberry, contact him on Facebook.
