If you have ever been a member of a philatelic club or society with an exchange packet system, you will know that exchange packets can take considerable time to circulate. There is also no guarantee that you will have an interest in the material which does arrive.
So in the year 2000, www.StampSwops.com began life as a virtual Philatelic Club, providing a place where like-minded collectors could exchange their duplicates, either on a like-for-like basis, or based on mutually-agreed prices.
It has now become an informational resource for collectors.