A trip down memory lane

In 1996 I started to go to chatboards to see if any other people or industries had discovered the power of a domain name. I would make a post about who I was and what I have been doing and what I discovered. Usually they would just delete my post. I even used my real name. Wasn't good enough. Why would they listen to a moron paying $100 for a domain name that was free just a year or two ago or less and they did not want them when they were free. They would say we have 66.154.67.109 we don't need anything else. When I asked them how they would advertise that on Radio or TV.....that challenge was too much for them to overcome and they would ban me and delete all my posts at that point.

The ONLY place I found ANYONE receptive was in the adult industry. They thought I was full of shit too. I remember before I ever got my first BIG check. I actually thought my calculator was broken. While EVERYONE else was talking about making 1/10 of ONE PENNY per visitor, I was making 10 cents per visitor. 25 cents per visitor. I REALLY thought I must be doing something wrong. Then the check showed up. HOLY SHIT!!!!! I was doing nothing wrong I was doing it quite right. Most did not even believe me. They thought I was making it up.

 

Then in 1997 they plugged in some of my domain names and saw conversions the likes of which they had NEVER seen before. I then went on to buy domains like porno.com, men.com, ass.com, sexo.com, voyeur.com and many many more. The total combined cost for those 5 domains back then was $94,000 in 5 separate transactions.

In those days the average traffic would take 10,000 visitors to produce one subscription. (Sign up). The really good traffic would produce at a rate of 1 in 1500. The really really good stuff was 1 in 800. They thought that was the very best conversions. Until I showed them 1 in 50. So that got the attention of some folks and it gave me a forum (Ynot) to talk about the power of domain names without fear those posts would get deleted. I even found an early ally in Joe Holler who was respected in that community and if not for him I would have had the same fate I had everywhere else.

 

In 1999 I got the code from the guys at Ynot to start my own domain board and by May 18th of the next year I finally decided it was time and the board went online with the following post:

 

"Welcome to one of the first domain chatboards on the net. I will be posting pertinent news about domain names and how we are all being affected by new rulings every day of the week.

Alone it is a tough mountain to climb. With a little support of others facing the same issues can only help. Use this board to your advantage and not a place to piss with each other.

Good luck to us!"
Rick Schwartz, eRealestate

 
Nobody showed up for 10 days. Then there was another post. Then a few days later another. Within 30 days a conversation was going on and the rest is history. By that time I had already assembled about 75% of my current portfolio. Today I am thrilled that I have been joined with so many other voices that have recognized domains as the real estate of this new century and the fuel that powers the net. The multiple facets that makes domains so valuable and increasing by the day.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz