Afternoon Folks!!
The schedule is done, the domains for the auction are picked, badges have been printed and the show program will be ready tomorrow. Once the show begins and people get their credentials, my job is done other than to make sure things run smooth and the train stays on schedule.
Starting today folks from all corners of the world begin their final plans for TRAFFIC. I am packing and we head out tomorrow.
So first and foremost, I want to make sure everyone has safe and uneventful travels and let them know the weather will be considerably better than last year! No storms, no hurricanes and no threats of one. You will actually see the Florida sun and the prettiest blue water you may have ever seen. Come on down the weather is great!
Now for the auction on Monday. We have no plans of broadcasting it. We will record it. Folks are free to blog or use skype to keep things current. What you will continually see and hear is SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!
I want to take a moment to thank all the sellers, the buyers and the bidders.
First the sellers. If I did not choose your name I am sorry. Either it was priced too high for a domain audience or I saw not enough interest in something over specific. And of course there were a fair amount of pigeon dropping that we all have.
But to the sellers that signed contracts and have domains in the auction, thank you for providing a list that will work. See nobody has to look at the list and say I want all 400 domain names. But every open minded and willing domainer can look at the list and find at least one domain of interest. Just one. That was a simple and achievable goal. And if they saw more than one and they have, then all the much better.
Now for those that think there are no gems and bargains there, you will be hugely surprised not only with the sales but the amount of bidders for each domain. When 20 people walk in a room targeting one domain name, THAT is an auction. So we are going to see action like never before and that is before we even talk about the gallery of phone bidders that are assembling. I would not be surprised to see over 100 domainers involved in the phone bidding.
You will see 'No Reserve' auctions going into the thousands and maybe even the tens of thousands of dollars. That will be the single biggest proof of success.
Getting back to the sellers. Thank you for promoting your own names. That is a large part of the formula. I am honest enough to tell you that we just can't do it and we don't have to fool you into thinking we can. You can focus on your name and that focus will bring much better results. Collectively it all adds up. That too is part of the formula. It's all part of a formula and when the vision becomes a reality I can point to what I said before hand that will just add more and more credibility and that is really what it is about. Building on credibility. That takes time. That takes patience. That takes a persistence to see a vision through regardless of pressure to change it.
Sorry, no $4 Million domains. Not even $1 Million. If a domainer can't realize a 10x gain to 100x gain it is not in the auction. I have to look at it through a wide variety of eyes. Not just mine. That is why we have .com, .co, .org, .info, .tv, .me, .us, .co.uk and other extensions in the auction. There is opportunity in our auction list and for those that don't see it now sure as hell will see it next Monday.
If I buy a domain for $1000 is there somebody in the world it might have a $10,000 value or even $100,000 or higher. THAT is the question. If the domain is $10,000 is there a $100,000 customer, partner, opportunity or idea? Collect enough of those and you will never look back.
I started asking that question when domains were $100 a pop before the aftermarket was even a thought. If it is not a 10X return as a minimum, it has no value when I am looking for a domain to invest in. It's not about today, it's about tomorrow. It's about circumstance. It's about opportunity. It's about somebody else seeing what you see.
When I see a portfolio I look at it four ways. Is there ONE gem in that ocean? Is there more than one gem? Would others see that gem? Or combined, could it be meaningful?
Most of all when I thank the sellers I thank them for taking a risk, trusting the market and trusting my vision of what a REAL live domain auction should look like, feel like and result in.
Then I turn to the bidders. You! The bidders are the key. They are the report card. Without them this all fails and I get to fall flat on my face in front of all of you and it will be a horrible day for all domainers. But I think I see things thru 'YOUR EYES' as best I can with the inventory available.
But I look at the names of the phone bidders alone and that thought goes right away. We are on the eve of a great success. Everyone is going to be a winner except those sitting on the sidelines and watching opportunity slip away.
If you can't afford to bid, it is likely because you have a lot of domains in your portfolio that are just costing you money. ADJUST!! You are not locked into failure unless you don't try. It's called 'Risk' for a reason. But what is 'Risk for some is a 'Sure thing' for others.
I want to thank Escrow.com for being our new partner and stream lining the process after the show. I want to thank Zenscrow for offering domain financing on our auction. You can buy a car or a great domain for $500/month. The car will be worthless in a few years and the domain could be life changing.
Most of all thanks to all of you for keeping an open mind and understanding what I am trying to accomplish and do. Failure starts at the beginning and so far we have a solid plan and we think we can execute it in a way that will change the spirit of the industry at what I would call one of the lowest points I have ever seen as far as spirit and confidence.
We are the Veteran Real Estate agents of this century and nothing can be more comforting knowing we follow a path in which so much wealth has been created for hundreds of years. It's an exact parallel with less work, less risk and much higher and faster rewards when you have a 10X-100X or more formula you use to measure by.
Good Luck to all of us.
Travel Safe
Let TRAFFIC take your self doubts away and bring back the confidence you need to press on. We have the CURE! Like minded people feeding off each other and that is the way to recharge your batteries and understand tthat the noise out there is just that, noise. See you in Lauderdale for T.R.A.F.F.I.C. #23.
Rick Schwartz
RaTHeaD
what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone reading this is now dumber for having listened to you. :P
AHEAD OF TIME
(RaTHeaD) I can see why you bought the domain
unfunded.com
You should put picture of yourself next to it :)
RaTHeaD
i just be friggin’ wit rick… i’ve been followin’ him since he was buyin’ domains on ebay in 1999. i love the guy but he don’t get my jokes.
gtldforum
Best of luck with the entire show from lot#106!
John
Without live broadcasting of the auction, how will the sellers, who are not physically present, keep track of the auction?
Andy
Sucks I won’t be able to make it this time round. Hopeful for the next!
Steff
I would think a live broadcast would also benefit phone bidders, I bet they would love to see the action they are bidding on.
Plus watching all the action might get some phone bidders to bid on other domains they wasn’t planing on.
It could only help the auction.
BJ Jones
I am really excited about the auction, and I am so thrilled to have a domain in the auction – Enviable.com. Unfortunately, I am also a PhD student at Cambridge University in England, so I won’t get to attend in person. Full term began October 2,and I was required to leave Texas and come back to the UK.
It appears Rick Schwartz has everything under control, and the TRAFFIC conference should be great! Hopefully, everyone will find their own enviable dot com at the auction!
peter
my pick for best names in this auction are , goldbullion.com, amusementparks.com,saws.com, cheaplaptops.com, shorttermloan.com, socials.com,fibre.com and tumors.com
Anunt
Lots of domains are going to be”Sold” at the auction…BUT at very low prices!
Great for the buyer…
Great for the seller who just wants to cash out…
Great for the auction…
BAD for domainers who will soon realize the value of domains are declining…
Values of domains are going to go down with huge supply of new gTLDs…
Dot com will remain king, but value will still go down…
Don’t debate this now, come back and debate me after the auction is over…
Good Luck to ALL
John
Anyone going to be twittering the auction LIVE?
Anunt
Was my prediction correct???