Here is a great story from CNN attesting to the power of the free market, and the ingenuity of one capitalist:

“My friend gave me a free phone and said, ‘Do what you want with it,'” Ortiz told CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday. “So I put it onCraigslist on the barter section.”

After some serious patience, research and a lot of talking, his cell phone trade landed him an iPod touch, which he managed to barter up for a dirt bike and then to a Macbook Pro laptop computer. Before long, he was the proud owner of an 1987 Toyota 4Runner.

Eventually, he landed a classic Ford Bronco SUV — the golden ticket that would soon get him into the driver seat of a luxury sports car. “I just went for it,” he said. “I knew the Bronco was worth more at the end.”

Value is intrinsic in the eye of the beholder. 17-year-old Steven Ortiz gets this, and is able to see value in what he has, and the value others seek, and makes the deal.

So what’s his secret?

“It’s trying to catch people who want what you have,” Ortiz said. “The man that needed the laptop had an extra car,” so both parties got what they wanted, he added.

Kudos to him.