Jim,
Me to making this my last swap ever the uncertainty of delivery services, costing etc, normally went for direct swaps. On one occasion the parcel to America cost 40.00 odd the guy had one of those street numbers in the thousands and I missed a digit and when I realised I rang ten sources in the states caught up with him to confirm then talked a few times with USPS who said they had the parcel it was undeliverable, had not been sent back to me they lied and much much later it turned up delivered on my front step no less then readdress repackage another 40 plus dollars, out the phone calls bla bla. So since then I have always put the receivers phone number on any parcel.
Now two years in a row using a random draw that same person and I were drawn to exchange we remain good friends, That particular swap I went on line and found he was a Dodge enthusiast , belonged to a huge Dodge Club in America I downloaded their Club intricate design, a mate of mine from our Aussie site Lazer cut the design on the lid of a wooden box, under the lid I had engraved the outline of a Snow Plow Engine with my SKF 300000 rev handpiece and burr 1.6 mm. Plus plus so my investment of time materials enthusiasm was extraordinary. They in his area and he works for the Railroad used to use these snow ploughs at round 30 to 40 miles an hour to clear the rails huge monsters in former times.
On another occasion my direct swap was a published Author on pens a prodidgeous maker and authority as well, researched him on the net and on the phone found out he was into photography and VW cars (he had a couple he had restored). So I made a neat pen located a small camera object when you pressed the button it flashed a few times and made kaching kaching sounds like a Nikon Camera, on the back of the Camera I fixed a small blue and white VW round badge. He is living close by to another mate of mine world famous for cutting American quarters using a scroll saw to remove unneccesary detail making the coin thin shaping them around the brass, encapsulating the blanks in plastic (very impressive) so I sent around a dozen rareish Aussie coins lots of burl etc blanks so my investment was time consuming and maybe to others over the top. After years of this I can cease with a clear concience.
Made heaps of friends, had lots of fun as well. PS this last swap the pen I sent to the first guy was this one I posted recently he has it and loves it.
Kind regards Peter.