My Domain Inquiries for February 2011

Morning Folks!!


'The domain is Not worth $100k!!'


'The domain is Not worth $1 Million!!'


'The domain is Not worth $5 Million!!'


My Response:


'OK, Come back when it is!'


My perspective is different than most so my attitude is different and so is my vision. I was around when 0 out of 6 Billion people would even take $100 out of their wallet for any of these. Before that they were free and would not even invest the time to fill out the registration slip. I have seen the values rise from worthless to laughable to foolish to everything in between where we find it today as a sought after asset. An asset capable of becoming income producing businesses serving the entire English speaking population of the world and the numerical ones with even broader appeal.


If domain name values were put on a chart, you would see a very steady increase in value with possibly a few small spikes along the way over the past 15 years. But the last 15 years will have little in common with the next 5 years. That is where I see the 'Sweet Spot'. I see a chart that began an ascent that will just become steeper and steeper in time. Not many sectors have held up as well as ours. Nothing counts until we hit 'Par'. What is Par? Something I have talked about for years but never put a name on it until now.


As a side note.....I only responded to a total of 6 of about 150 inquiries.


** Means contacted by multiple parties for that particular domain name.


Also my first .CO inquiry on the list below.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


8181.com**
TopSecret.com
PhoenixFlowers.co
GoingPlaces.com
Property.com**
WhiteChicks.com
BuyWholesale.com**
WholesaleJewelry.com**
Porno.com
vDate.com
efu.com
DateNow.com
eBid.com**
Cutie.com
Shitface.com
i-watch.org
hotbet.com
LookingForSex.com
Pornflix.com
AdvertisingCompany.com
Ass.com
Teem.com
TryThat.com
Luv.com**
1019.com
PartyTonight.com
CheapestPrice.com**
969.com
GoBet.com**
Properties.com**
iHotels.com
Puta.com
399.com**
348.com
346.com
295.com**
239.com
238.com
235.com**
977.com**
watching.com
Ihf.com
ChristmasClub.com
Surf411.com
eBet.com
Wants.com
DanceCam.com
Widgets.com**
CheapDate.com
BestOdds.com
6565.com**
750.com
899.com**
975.com**
969.com
939.com
989.com
eTrip.com
9595.com


You can compare this list to my list of January 2011




43 thoughts on “My Domain Inquiries for February 2011

  1. Domainer A7

    Great answer, Rick! Thanks for the smile.
    Just wait til the great gTLD .FAIL happens and then you’ll really see a steep appreciation curve.

    Reply
  2. Scott Alliy

    “OK, Come back when it is!”
    Classic Rick
    With a reply like that I am surprised you don’t own BigKahunas.com
    As I’ve long said for those of us that have held”We’ll get it when they get it”
    P.S. Agree with Domainer AZ TLDs won’t stick dot coms rule

    Reply
  3. Greg

    “OK, Come back when it is!”
    That line will be in my head for months lol, thanks.
    Close to being able to get my own NJ attitude working, for a bit i’ll still need to keep the midwest attitude when negotiating.

    Reply
  4. Michael

    I am going to step in here and say I don’t think domain names are going to get any higher. People have to build a website that makes there money back. What is the value of the domain names if it can’t make people money? Is the domain bobble going to burst!
    I bought BuyWesternWear.com the other day for $7.00, now its not WesternWear.com but if I am able to get the products to sell western wear I can build a site that would rank all the way up there with WesternWear.com. Now my $7 domain name is in direct competition with a $100000 domain. Which domain will a person on Google click on? probably both.
    What about a site like TVG.com would they do better with HorseRacing.com or eBet.com or the same? I am guessing they paid a lot less for TVG
    I am just thinking about competition on the interner!

    Reply
  5. Kevin

    I have a client that recently turned down a $1,000,000 offer. He wants $4 Million for his domain. He may or may not one day get his dream price. You never know in this business. But when you’re up in your years and looking for a nice liquidity event to go into retirement with, a million dollar paycheck certainly provides that.
    Because I deal in higher priced domains, I have a lot of clients like this who turn down big offers all the time, that most domainers would be overjoyed for. It takes a lot of work to find and get 6 and 7 figure offer buyers, especially in this chaotic economy and unpredictable domain market. It kills me everytime I bring a client one of these deals and I hear”nope”,”not a chance”,”not interested”. But that’s the reality of the higher end side of domaining and you just have to deal with the frustration of it all at times.
    Personally, I think most of the major domainers will regret having turned down so many significant offers that have come their way over the years.

    Reply
  6. Leonard Britt

    A domain with type-in traffic already has potential customers which would be of value to an end user. If developed, the domain could potentially reach many more customers via search at a global level. Compare that to retail space where the reach is likely a 5-10 mile radius from the store’s location.
    I was in Dolphin Mall in Miami a couple of weeks ago and the FYE store there (music, videos, etc) was closing soon. I was told the new tenant would be paying $60K/month for that space. Over a period of several years, that new clothing store will pay millions of dollars for the right to sell clothing in a location with dozens of competitors and where most customers live or work within a reasonably short commute of that location (exception some tourists).
    Oftentimes large companies or developers will choose to develop on a brandable domain but will spend a considerable sum on SEO efforts. Alternatively many businesses choose Adwords as a means of marketing their businesses. One way or another a business needs traffic, visitors, leads to generate sales so a domain with traffic does have a value even if end users aren’t yet willing to pay for it.

    Reply
  7. Soji

    Hi Michael,
    I think you have said it all. A domain name is not important as the business, why will I buy a domain name for 100 thousands or a million dollar when I can easily use less than that to brand any domain name that is related to my business.
    Is not about domain name , is the idea. You can buy a domain name for $5Million and at the end of the year, your ROI could be -$10Million.
    I think is high time some people get that. I always use this small quote: Build a brand, don’t buy a brand

    Reply
  8. David Conners

    I like Rick’s Response VERY Much! Here’s Another Possible Email Response to An Inquiring Potential Buyer:
    “Let’s have a friendly parting of ways for now, but feel free to contact me again when the domain is worth my selling price to/for you”.

    Reply
  9. chris

    Thats not true – if people cant find your site then they will never click it. Its all about seo and ranking – yes if you become a direct competitor and can rank right under in google then its no doubt that people will go to your site. However if there are thousands of people who know the company’s webiste and type it directly, then you are left with little to no traffic

    Reply
  10. Altaf

    Hi Rick,
    My Response:
    “OK, Come back when it is!”
    That is an eye catching reply said it all,but difficult to explain like Rabindranath Tagore said,” Now you are crying for going to school, again you will have to cry for not going to school.” Agian,
    “There is no space for you in the golden boat,as is filled with golen rice.”
    Regards,

    Reply
  11. Gazzip

    “I think you have said it all. A domain name is not important as the business”
    A good exact match keyword domain can often get you right to the top 10 of Google results with basic SEO
    That alone is a huge advantage to any business.
    Look where Sydney Hotels ranks in Google & Bing, Rick sold that a while back and within a couple of months its right up there where it needs to be. (chances are it will stay there too.)
    Type-ins are great but I’d imagine their search engine traffic may be more.
    Don’t underestimate the power of a great domain :)

    Reply
  12. chris2

    Domains may rise in price but it’s irrelevant.
    I may believe that gold will rise in price but I’ll sell my one ounce gold coin for $2000 if it can be replaced by a similar one for $1500.
    Domainers conveniently overlook the laws of demand and supply that apply to practically every other market.

    Reply
  13. Michael

    You can check its Alexa.com ranking, right now its 1.8 million. What is that about 1000 visits a month?
    I would say a good number to shot for is a 1000 visits a day.
    Sydney Hotels is #22 on my Google search and #1 on Bing here.

    Reply
  14. Michael

    Yeah Circuit City did close all there stores but now I just go to Best Buy. I dont want to wait to get a new TV.
    60K/month that has to be one big space.

    Reply
  15. Michael

    What happens when retail space starts to drop there rent? Look at General Growth Properties you can rent a space probably in any of there malls for half of what they use to want.

    Reply
  16. Landon White

    Let me count the ways! ….
    Same ole Brokers, Resellers, Punks of goodwill, whatever, BITCHING
    that Domain Prices are to high WHY CANT YOU JUST BE REASONABLE …
    Please let me say this to you very politely !!!
    F**K You …
    Yeah, They try to hustle you to see if they can to get the Domain name cheaper and then turn around and sell it in”PRIVATE” for bundles more!
    The reason you sell it”PRIVATE” is cause you don’t wont get
    your ass beat if someone found out what you did.
    There needs to be ass whooping, really … most conniving punks
    have no balls, and have yet to get a good hospital stay!
    A attitude adjustment will do wonders, i promise you!

    Reply
  17. NamePiks

    Rick, you really got it going on, finally a stand up guy that says it like it is! You my friend are on top of the world! Kev

    Reply
  18. Megan

    Michael, I disagree with your analysis of simply looking at traffic saying”it is only 1000 hits per month, should be 1000 visits a day” The value in traffic is TARGETED traffic and yes 1000 hits a day sounds great but not if it isn’t targeted traffic. So don’t be fooled but sheer numbers – conversions, leads, are the most important and that is what I focus on doing in my SEO business. A good domain is a great investment – with or without development. But an exact-match domains that is properly developed can be gold.

    Reply
  19. Rick Schwartz

    I see it as a never ending supply and NEW audience of 1000 daily CUSTOMERS every single day that I can provide something to that can tell 1000 other CUSTOMERS about what they got. The missing link is the good, service or information that will allow them to tell others so it can grow and grow exponentially with every passing day.
    Right now, we have toll booths and parking lots. When you own the keyword, you have the luxury of building skyscrapers or not. Partnering or not. Options! A multitude of options and while
    I don’t like or want to sell my domains, I simply want to bridge a 20 year gap so the majority of business people can see what I see and use the formula I envision to fill in the missing links, one link at a time. One domain at a time. One business at a time. One partnership at a time.
    In the end, I just want 100 different running businesses that require no time. And when I reach that goal. I will simply do it again and again and again.
    As for SEO. I got one question. Every SEO guy claims they can get you to #1. So 5000 SEO guys promising the same thing must mean that 4999 are full of shit?
    Relevancy is the best optimizer in the world. When you become relevant you climb. That is when a true SEO expert can be the most useful. Until that point, it’s all about spamming.
    JMO :-)

    Reply
  20. Punto

    Hey Michael, bobble bauble bubble, roil pan subtle, branding or brandling, it’s the aye of the beholder.

    Reply
  21. Mimi

    Rick,
    Would you email me? I have a very serious family emergency and about all I have left that I can liquidate are around 30 domain names but I just lack the experience to do this on my own let alone fast. This situation is very, very critical. I can explain in email. I have owned many of these for years. They are largely 1 and 2 word organic (dictionary) words. No misspellings or anything like that. I have dot-coms, dot-US and several dot-cos. I just need some real guidance guidance.
    Thank you SO much!!! I will anxiously await word (and am happy to permit you to very the situation I am referring to)

    Reply
  22. Chadi Ghaith

    Hey Rick,
    Can’t claim I know much about much… But I know a couple of things that confirm the steep chart you’re describing Rick:
    1, Inflationary atmosphere like never before.
    2, More and more people realizing that Domain Names represent assets that are easily transportable and harder for Govs to control.
    3, A key role that the internet is playing in facilitating world revolutions, and a whole flock of nations gearing like never before towards free and democratic systems. They’re all soon are prone to open their eyes to the necessity of owning their business’s domain name. i.e. FaceBook, Twitter yesterday just been accessible in Syria (a dream come true to a whole nation).
    4, Scarcity: Even with the sea of TLDs, any generic domain name represents a scarce commodity if lets say 10 – 20% of its potential end users worldwide decide to go online with their businesses.
    Its a small world still for Domainers. We can still talk to you Rick, and you can still respond back. It may not be as such years from now. I mean hopefully by then Rick you won’t turn your blog on autopilot and we’d then be lucky to get your raw and organic response to out views.
    Hopefully then, I can take your place and be the Today’s Rick Shwartz of that upcoming era.
    Just Kiddin!!! I’m not that dedicated. I mean, domaining is not my native language. However, its the second favorite language I’m learning to speak.
    Just some thoughts!!!

    Reply
  23. George

    “Relevancy is the best optimizer in the world. When you become relevant you climb. That is when a true SEO expert can be the most useful. Until that point, it’s all about spamming.”
    Relevant, Relevant and Relevant and more Relevant…
    But some people still don’t get it.

    Reply
  24. Mark Hoffmeister

    My domain inquiries this month:
    rock-the-boat.com
    parkingking.com
    msmillionaire.com
    projectedgrowth.com
    crackpad.com
    billionairtycoon.com
    youfailed.com
    Answered each one via email, none sold – please stop back later!

    Reply
  25. Gazzip

    It shows as number 2 on page one of Google viewed from the UK (not counting the Ballon/map ones)
    Thats using both google.co.uk & google.com
    No idea what traffic it actually gets but if you have an exact match type-in domain that also ranks high on the first page of Google that’s a pretty great start ;)
    I don’t agree with those that say a domain only accounts for 5% of SEO, more like 35% + (For generics)
    IMH(amateur)O :)

    Reply
  26. Gazzip

    “As for SEO. I got one question. Every SEO guy claims they can get you to #1. So 5000 SEO guys promising the same thing must mean that 4999 are full of shit?”
    Yup, as the Highlander said,”There can be only one!” ;)

    Reply
  27. Steve

    This is why I put my money on keyword domains myself Rick. I can usually beat out most other SEO guys with just the proper domain and setup or website structure (directory /page naming / site coding). The domain name is where it is at in my past 10 years online.
    Your response of”OK, Come back when it is” is just classic, I wish my pull was that start.
    Thank you for the read…

    Reply
  28. kia foster

    Hmm, I ha d a strange conversation today, and guy was obviously pissed off because he is supposed to be a top notch businessman ,but he was insulted that when I replied and said no to his derisory $2000 offer I also said , quote,”..We seem to be in two totally different ballparks, you in a”k12″ Ballpark and us in Yankee stadium !”. end quote. When I spoke to him tonight he said
    that I had insulted him and said”fuck off” . Nice guy obviously, not. Is that the way Americans do business, if they dont get their way they cry and sulk ?.

    Reply
  29. kia foster

    Hey Rick ,I will set you a challenge.See whether you can sell my domain to the arsehole I mention afore and we can come to an arrangement. I KNWOW he wants the domain ,just doesnt know how much it is worth.

    Reply
  30. Mr. Deleted

    I have to agree to some extent to what you say Michael, we all would want to have a domain that we can sell for an arm and a leg, but that is not always reality. And at the end of the day it is about who has a good business plan, not who has a 100K wrapped up in their domain name. Now that does not mean that a 100K for the right domain can’t do some good, in example, DNS.com, from a domainer I used to know, and I don’t know the price he paid for the domain name, or how much he sold the business for, but it is the combination of domain+plan that made them pay the big bucks for his website.

    Reply
  31. Landon White

    @ Rick from Mimi-2
    I have a Family Emergency my fingers are stuck to the keyboard with
    crazy glue and a voice keeps whispering, Sell Cheap, Sell Cheap…
    only you can save me from these Domain Demons that torture i to
    transfer them quick before they kill me.

    I will pitch, er i mean explain in a email i have 1 and 2 letter .com /. us and the MANY .Co that i have had for decades (Cough)
    Thank you for your Guidance, (don’t forget cheap)
    Jimi … er, i mean Mimi

    Reply
  32. Jeff Schneider

    Hello Rick,
    We used to call it a good stock picker, and in the secondary stock market we always looked for Value.
    Being a good Domain picker The Names remain the SAME , whereas in the other game the stocks NAMES Always CHANGED, How Bout that !
    That never occured to me till now, there are some parallels to stocks especially now. Could there be an explosion on the Internet Crowd to find out that these Business Properties they own are more expansive in Nature” and never change ! HHHmmmmmm

    Reply
  33. Jeff Schneider

    Hello Rick,
    TRYTHAT Rick this could be the Big One !” Mikey Likes It”
    Gotta Tell you Rick I gotta Feeling about this one !
    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

    Reply
  34. Adam

    Kevin, of course a broker would think that as you’ve lost a lot of time trying to broker those deals. I’m curious why you’d invest time and energy on domains without a clear price-point involved .

    Reply
  35. adam

    Domains aren’t gold coins either. Not one of them is exactly like the other.
    It’s sort of a commodity but not really, more like art.

    Reply
  36. Dave Wrixon

    With the money Ben Bernanke is printing shouldn’t be too long.
    No reflection on your domains of course.

    Reply
  37. Len H.

    Hi Rick,
    I see ChristmasClub.com on your list there… you bought that from me, a long time ago… Thanks for your words of wisdom along the way. Your insight you shared back then when I met you at your house helped me recently to corner a niche domain market over the last year or two, which is just now starting to bare fruit…. it showed me that there are many more undiscovered niche markets in industries that have still not recognized the value of the right domain name, which are still ripe for the picking… I equate the current Domain Market like a stock market investment – to quote Mr Buffet”…invest in what you know about – if you know nothing about a particular business or industry or don’t understand it, don’t invest in it”… so, to everyone, invest in the words/topics/industries you know… thanks again Rick.
    Continued success!
    My best,
    ~Len

    Reply

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