A Million Domain Name Stories in this Naked City

Vern runs into guy attending the TRAFFIC domain convention in New York City who paid the price of admission solely in the hope of running into the gent from the Cayman Islands who owns three domains he wants to buy (said owner won't reply to his calls and emails for the names in question..  presumably because they're not in the business of selling their domain names or get lots of similar inquiries).

I'm not trying to make light of this gent's situation, but this post is to illustrate the unbelievable latent value in high quality generic domain names in 2007 and the gravity of the opportunity still remaining on the table. You might have sold these names yesterday for $5000 - $10000 each and click your heels at your good fortune, having paid just $60 to acquire them several years ago. This guy spent $2500 plus travel, local transport, hotels, meals (not including his time) just for the opportunity to discuss a purchase or partnership; without guarantee of a payback.

Compare these names (which don't get huge traffic or goto apart, but which represent a niche product or industry) to taking a full page ad in that industry's leading trade magazine for $10,000-$15,000, for one insertion, for one month's issue, without any guarantee of "real readership" through circulation and without a parting-gift. Think about those things next time you say generic secondary market domain names are expensive.

The opportunities ahead for generic name registrants and website developers are mind-boggling.

Comments

[Sahar Sarid]

Count another one who made the trip to meet with me for a name. With time I think we will see allot more of that.

[Sumbini]

Excellent example of the inmense advantage of purchasing an "industry specific" gTLD over the comparable cost of a "one-time", major publication, ad-space purchase! A similar valid comparison could be applied to the exuberant cost of a "one-time" ad agency project. A short, descriptive and memorable "industry specific" gTLD simply blows it away!

Regards,

Sumbini

[Rahul]

Hits home..tks!