The coming Fall BOOM!

Morning Folks!

Yes, you heard me right. We are on the doorstep of a huge
economic boom. That is the really good news. Now for the other side. After that
great boom that we are about to experience, I expect a collapse rivaling this
past spring with a little more pain felt throughout the population. I expect
the pain to actually begin. The pain for the common man.


So this is what I expect. The common wisdom is that the
market will collapse in October and that it is soon time to get the hell out of
the market. That thinking should lead to a September meltdown. Not October.


Then I expect online ad spending to be at a pace that we
have never seen before. It may be the last gasp for many. They are going for
broke. They have nothing to lose at this point. Their business models are collapsing and so why not go for
broke? If they declare bankruptcy in January, what exactly are they going to
lose? The only ones that will lose are anyone extending them credit.


But that is good news for us, even as short lived as I
expect it will be. The payouts should really start to move up as bidding begins
to heat up. We are a market. If you don’t see payouts go up, and you see the
buys increasing, then you know we are getting hosed.


The experts as I have said are no experts at all. They will
continue to be surprised because they have lost or never had what it takes to really
understand what motivates movement in any direction. They guess and they are
usually wrong.


So get ready for a wild ride. This fall will not be boring.
The antics will be off the chart. The question is will the consumer respond or
will they save? When Christmas comes and folks give $100 gas cards as a
present, that does not count. Those are dollars that are going to be spent
regardless. So if Christmas becomes a Christmas of necessities, then there
is no fuel added to the economy.


If you are a seasonal business in the northeast USA, chances
are you had a terrible summer season and making it through to next year is
going to be tough if not impossible. I can’t even estimate how many of those
businesses won’t be back next year.


There are some dollar$ flying around and there is some
decent activity fueled by the stock market. But this may be pretty short lived.
The fundamentals, the deficit, the weak dollar, the high unemployment, problems
with states and other municipalities could complicate things. Could strangle
any recovery. That is before we even talk about the unexpected.


Bottom line, even tho there has been more economic activity,
it is because inventories were very low and at some point you are forced to
buy. The problem is with each passing month the “Burn rate” for both business
and personal is getting more and more serious for a larger segment of the
folks. There is a breaking point. The beginning started just a few weeks back
when the first group of 140,000 people had their benefits for unemployment
stop. By this time next year that number will grow from the 140,000 to several
million. 5, 10 million. A really huge number. A really big problem. Compounded
by the fact that many of these millions of jobs lost are never coming back.


Meanwhile you can make a lot of money in this turmoil, in
this crisis, in this great period of opportunity. Life changing opportunity.
Isn’t that what it is about? Isn’t that why you read this blog and others? You
can’t chase yesterday’s opportunity and find success, you can only recognize opportunity for now
and tomorrow. The best way to do that is to have a working assumption of how
things will unfold and proceed. Make adjustments every step of the way but
never lose the way.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


More than 750 Votes Cast in T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Awards Balloting!!

Morning Folks!!


The heaviest voting in the history of the TRAFFIC
awards has concluded. The votes are in, all 750 of them, the results have been tabulated and the
awards will be given out at TRAFFIC in New York City on October 28th.
There were several neck and neck
races but there has been a clear winner chosen in each category.


These are your awards. You provided the nominations and did
the voting. The quality of the nominees and the winners speak for themselves! Again,
congratulations to all the nominees and eventual winners. Job well done!


SPONSOR OF THE YEAR
PARKED
HITFARM
DDC
SKENZO
DOMAINER OF THE YEAR
MIKE BERKENS
LONNIE BORCK
DAVID AND MICHAEL CASTELLO
ALAN HACK
RICK LATONA
JERRY NOLTE
SHAUN PILFOLD
RICK SCHWARTZ (Declined)
BEST OVERALL DOMAIN SOLUTION
DEVHUB
FABULOUS
HAYNEEDLE
NETSHOPS
SKENZO
SEDO
DOMAIN HALL OF FAME (VOTE FOR 2)
MIKE BERKENS
MICHAEL AND DAVID CASTELLO (counts as 1 vote)
LARRY FISCHER
BRIAN GILBERT
ROB GRANT
MICHAEL MANN
HOWARD NEU
JERRY NOLTE
SHAWN STAFFORD
DIVYANK TURAKHIA
MIKE 'ZAPPY' ZAPOLIN
BEST NEW MONETIZING SOLUTION
ABOVE.COM (TRELLIAN)
DEVHUB
THE 'WE GET IT' AWARD
BOBBLEHEADS.COM
MELVILLE CANDY / CANDY.COM
STEVE SCHAFFER
TOYS-R-US
BEST DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR
RICHARD DOUGLAS
SHAUN PILFOLD
WARREN ROYAL
VERTIVE. INC.
NAT COHEN
BEST DOMAIN NEWS BLOG
RON JACKSON / DNJOURNAL.COM
MIKE BERKENS / THEDOMAINS.COM
JERRY NOLTE / DOMAINERSMAGAZINE.COM
ELLIOT'S BLOG / ELLIOTSBLOG.COM
MICHAELGILMOUR / WHIZZBANGSBLOG.COM
OWEN FRAGER / FRAGERFACTOR.COM
RICK SCHWARTZ / RICKSBLOG.COM (Declined)
APPRAISER OF THE YEAR
ANDREA MIGNOLO



Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


Here Comes #12, Rick Sells PunchBowl.com

Morning Folks!!


In the not too distant future I will be announcing my 12th domain sale is
PunchBowl.com. Another multiple 6 figure deal plus other
considerations. There should be a press release forthcoming and the
buyer will decide how much of this to go public with as there will be a
confidentially clause . There is some real interesting developments out
there and this recession will just make great domain names more and
more important and meaningful and eventually many will become
priceless. Many already are. But when the investors of the universe
understand all the facets of a domain name it will render so many other
investments and collectibles secondary to what a domain name means.


The economy is in turmoil, some domainers are struggling to keep above
water. Great domains have never been in more demand. Folks, this is
report card time. The working equation has changed drastically and
therefore many business models have been blown to smithereens. All I
can say is that it is never too late to start doing it right. Never too
late to adjust to new times and new opportunities. Last August the
bottom fell out of the market. Look how much has changed in just 1
year. Look at your own attitudes when I began writing about the
impending economic meltdown. 1 year ago, most readers here were not
affected by what we have gone thru and really thought I was going off
the deep end. In retrospect you can see that what I saw coming was
accurate. Just another event I clearly defined before it occurred and I
did it in front of the world. Many told me to cool it. But my job is
not to paper over reality. My job is to articulate reality before it
happens. To take advantage of that information before others. That's
your job too!

I
said at that time that you can't pull back on the throttle. That you
have to gun that baby if you expect to survive and thrive. Those that
did not heed those words have quietly disappeared. I listened to my own
advice and while I had my very worst year in ppc since the beginning, I
also put more meaningful deals together than ever before. Planted seeds
that will sprout into fruit trees not just fruit. Aligned myself with
successful people and companies. All that before I even get to the huge
changes in TRAFFIC
to bring the event around the world and around the corner. Not just to
domainers. If you want to continue your incest then you will only do
business inside the industry and the other shows will be better for
you. Have fun with the masses! But for those of us that understand what
we have and where the future is and where the opportunity is, we will
focus on end users. Focus on folks and companies outside the domain
industry. Engage those that we choose to engage. Those of you that are
stuck in the domain world, I see no shackles on your legs, just ones
imposed in your minds. TRAFFIC will evolve into a show that attracts
people from outside the industry as the Internet hits the next stage.
New blood, new money, new opportunities. We lead, everyone else
follows. What am I talking about? I am talking about things in the
future that are coming that others don't see. Why don't they see it?
You'll have to ask them. But my record is pretty damn clear and I see
it and they eventually will as they follow in our footsteps and trace
the new path we blaze. So the choice in life is to follow leaders or be
stuck with the masses following followers and never having a clear
direction.


Let
me be as clear as possible. IF you KNOW what elements constitute a
great domain, then all I can say is there are more domains out there
than any one of us can actually buy. I see an incredible amount of
quality domains for $500-$5000. When I say quality, I mean a domain
that has 10x, 20x ,100x the value it is being sold for. The same work
and money to buy those as all the CRAP I see people buy.


I have a post buried in this blog from the spring. It was like giving the keys away to the joint. That was close to what Mike Berkens
said about that post. I explained in detail what constituted a great
domain as opposed to a worthless one. It was one of my least read blog
posts and I don't even know a comment was made. Go figure.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


TRAFFIC Announces January Show at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas

World's First and Largest Domain Conference Brings Online
Industry to Las Vegas


BOCA RATON, FL - The internet conference that formally launched the
Domain Industry in 2004 will hold is first show of 2010 at Las Vegas,
Nevada January 21 through 23. The Targeted Redirects And Financial
Fulfillment Internet Conference, best known by its acronym
T.R.A.F.F.I.C., will be hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The first show of 2010 provides a unique opportunity to gain insight
from industry experts and network with the biggest and best names of
the domain industry.


T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is known around the world as the domain conference that
brought together domain investors at a unique venue that has resulted
in hundreds-of-millions of dollars in business deals and domain sales,
along with countless, incalculable transactions. The show essentially
helped internet entrepreneurs unify as an industry, define their common
goals, and make use of a powerfully-charged business environment to
meet and network.


T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s unique networking platform is based around breaking
bread with other goal-oriented entrepreneurs. The show features as
many as seven full meals, three cocktail parties, great seminars, big
name speakers, and the best night-time parties. There have been many
efforts to emulate T.R.A.F.F.I.C., but none with the proven results and
overall business deals that the attendees of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. enjoy.


Among the show's trademark events is the World's Largest Live Domain
Auction. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. was the first domain industry conference to
host a live domain auction. The event also features the greatest
number of auctions, and these auctions have resulted in some of the
largest domain sales in industry history. Domain auctions at
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. have grossed more than all other domain shows, combined.


Rick Latona and his company, Rick Latona Auctions, have joined with
Rick Schwartz, Howard Neu, the co-founders of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. to
be the exclusive auction company for every T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show held
during 2010, both in the United States and around the globe. Rick
Latona Auctions has also announced they will be running themed auctions
during the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. shows, in addition to the World's Largest
Live Domain Auction.


Rick Latona Auctions was founded in 2008 as an extension to the
marketing division of RickLatona.com. Premiere live and extended
auctions have been held in New York City, Gold Coast, Phoenix, Silicon
Valley, and Amsterdam. The live portion of these auctions is always
staged with a in-house bidding crowd, and the auctions also feature
streaming video feeds, permitting online bidders around the world to
participate in domain name auctions.


Domain investors and developers who wish to attend the first show of
2010, in Las Vegas, are strongly encouraged to make plans now. Rick
Latona Auctions is accepting submissions for T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas
as well as other upcoming auctions. The company is accepting only the
highest-quality domain names. For domain name submissions to Rick
Latona Auctions, please go online to
www.ricklatona.com/auctions/submission-form, and for more information
about Rick Latona Auctions, please visit www.RickLatona.com.


T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has hosted some of the best-known names of the domain
industry and the broader financial sector, including economist and
actor Ben Stein, domain investor John Reese, real-estate mogul Barbara
Corcoran, and economist and publisher Steve Forbes.


T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s influence around the world continues to grow, having
held shows in the United States, Europe, and Australia. During 2010,
the conference will again be held in Europe, and the coming year will
feature the show hosted in Asia for the first time.


For information about T.R.A.F.F.I.C., and to see archives of previous
shows, go online to www.targetedtraffic.com


The Ad.com Circular Firing Squad. Ready, Fire, Aim! Huh?

Morning Folks!!


Oversee suing Skenzo?? This one suing that. I can't even keep it straight. Is that
smart? Where is the ICA on this issue? MIA? Much bigger than just 2 companies and a domain sale. This is HUGE! The enemy is AOL. Why aren’t they aiming their guns at them? They are the boogie
man here. They are the ones making claims far from their actual rights. So is
this really a lawsuit about a domain name or one motivated by the competitive
nature of the industry? We now have all the major PPC companies involved in
serious litigation. Each will get weaker and none will get stronger.


Meanwhile all these folks need to
WAKE UP!! The domain is no longer worth $1.4M. The domain is now worth tens of
millions and all parties have taken their eye off the ball. Then putting the
owner against the buyer is just a bonehead move.


All that before we even talk about
the fallout from this. Meanwhile AOL must be laughing their asses off. They
created a civil war in an industry they probably hate.


See when I asked if the “Golden
Days of Domaining were over”, I was not kidding. Wonder how many times the
Skenzo Paddle will be going up for a Moniker auction in New York? Will this
scare others to bid?


Now of course I understand there is
a contract involved and perhaps this is the way to proceed. On the other hand
if you win the battle and lose the war, what exactly do you win? These are
extra ordinary circumstances. I think it is unfortunate or maybe even
calculated as I believe more went into this decision then just the sale of the
domain name. That is my BUSINESS opinion. These are two giants fighting. The domain may be the vehicle, but is it the true motive? I don't know, but certainly worth asking.


Anyway, I hope all the parties can get
together and do what is in the best interest of the industry which would be to
focus their energy on AOL because if they don’t, we are likely to face it
over and over and over again in the future. A floodgate of threats that
actually affect business transactions.
AOL will be the first, not the last.Stop the polictics and show AOL that this industry has some character and willing to fight.


Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz




Ad.com Lawsuits

Good Evening Folks!!
The following is a guest post by my friend and partner Howard Neu and his
take on the ad.com lawsuits. Tomorrow it will be my take. It is quite
different. Howard attacks the legal aspects. I attack the industry and others
for forming a circular firing squad. This is much bigger than just the 4
parties.



All of the litigation that has started up due to AOL’s wrongful attempt
to hijack a legitimate generic domain is going to cost the parties huge legal
fees which may or may not be recoverable in court. The U.S. Federal
District Courts have what is known as Rule 11 Sanctions. These sanctions
may apply when a spurious law suit is filed or when there are allegations
contained in a law suit which are false and the falsity of which should have
been discovered by the Plaintiff prior to filing the law suit.




I truly believe that the seller’s law suit is misdirected as the real
culprit (fly in the ointment) (black hat bad guy) is not being sued. AOL
has made spurious claims in a bald attempt to interfere with the sale of the
domain to SKENZO. If this were a WIPO action, it would be obvious Reverse
Domain Hijacking. AOL claims that it has a common law trademark on
Ad.com, but it has never used it in commerce and has never been known by Ad.com.
Slang words for registered domains don’t cut it. If the courts should
somehow agree with AOL, the entire domain structure will come tumbling down and
the aftermarket will disappear overnight.


I can only assume that
SKENZO will join AOL as a third party defendant. Neither the seller nor
the buyer were aware at the time of the sale of any ersatz claims being made by
AOL. Though the domain was previously put up for auction, AOL never
communicated with the Seller or with the auction house MONIKER that it had any
kind of claim. I wonder if it was AOL’s high-priced legal counsel or some
goof-off in the company who decided to make this spurious claim. In either case, Time-Warner needs to take remedial action when the s**t hits the
fan and AOL gets the kind of negative publicity out of all this that will drive
users away in droves


Howard Neu



ChinaTours.com is #11 with a $200k Price tag

Morning Folks!!


In November 1996 I plunked down $100 and Today I went to the cashier and they gave me $200 Grand. This deal took about 1 year from the initial contact. A simple domain. A great domain because it is not ambiguous and it is well defined. I was surprised I did not sell it much earlier. Many contacts over the years.
Now this was a nice deal, don't get me wrong but it adds value to another domain I own. A much more universal domain. But this sale sets a foundation for the next. I will write about all this in a future blog post. Until then, I have to read the contract for #12 and see where we are.


Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz


Back from Fishing but forgot to Vacation…..Here is what I Caught

Morning Folks!!


On the first day of fishing I bagged one by noon. Fishing? You mean outdoors with water? No, no, no. I meant “Fishing” to get away from the
confines of the domain industry and out into the business jungle. Just a few days to drop out of this world and drop into another world. I went fishing for a deal and I found one. My investment $300,000. My take $800,000. $500,000 profit and in and out in 4 days. How? By seizing opportunty. By recognizing it. By timing it to the tee. By learning that history repeats itself. By following the money. By following my gut.


I did that just so I would not feel guilty by taking a few days off and slacking a bit. I can't say it was a relaxing week. It was still pretty damn intense and I had multiple negotiations going on both inside and outside the domain world. I don't think I ever had so many simultaneous negotiations going on and each were at the most critical of stages. It was a whirlwind. I have deals and contracts I have not even gotten to yet. Matter of fact, after the least amount of domain inquiries between March and June that I can ever remember, I have had more in the past 45 days then the past 2 years combined. They are literally coming out of the woodwork.


I am hoping
after so many years, so much we have all learned that actual business people
may be more interested in what we have to say. My blog has always been about domains and domainers but it never stopped there. We may be the players in the production, but it is for the folks in the seats that I am aiming for. The audience that is not really here, YET. The business owner. The CEO. Corporate America and Main St. The person that can actually make a decision. The folks in all types of businesses that can employ what it is we do to transform their businesses.


Domains are my vehicle. Traffic
is my expertise. Closing sales is my specialty. Putting it all together and
interpreting into the Internet is my gift. What that means is that I can
transform the business of anyone willing to embrace this dimension and have their MINDS leave
the confines of their brick and mortar business. Show me any business on Main
Street that is able to take advantage of the Internet and I’ll show you a
business I can double, triple or quadruple the size of in just 18 months. If I
fail….it will take 36 months. But even in failure that business will double in
volume and even more in raw profit earnings.


Here is what I found out with Mr. business owner on Main
Street. He is no longer in control of his destiny. He has outsourced his
lifeline to folks that understand lifelines but don’t know jack about making a
sale. He is like a car dealer but has no license to drive his own vehicles. Never took a lesson and does not know how to drive. Tell me how that guy sells cars?? Tell me how he out manuvers his competition? Tell me how the public could even take that dealer seriously?


So Mr. Main St. business owner, get you ASS in gear and pay attention.
The survival and thriving of your business now depends on YOU getting under the
hood and exploring and understanding the Internet. If you leave it to your son,
daughter, mechanic, IT, secretary, dog catcher, I mean anyone else, you are going
to eventually go out of business. Why? Because you are no longer in control of
your business. Your store is laid out a certain way for a reason. A reason
having to do with making sales. You have competent sales folks for a reason. If your website does not do the same thing, it
is like having all your inventory shoveled into some dark garage and expecting
your customers to wade thru all that crap without organization nor anyone that cares enough to help them.


Your website can’t just take orders. It has to sell. It has to educate. It has to define. It has
to sell and it has to find people interested in what you have to sell. It’s not
rocket science. It’s lining up 3 or 4 components into an engine. A sales
engine. A cash register that rings itself up and ships itself. Autopilot once
you learn how to fly and manage it.


Listen to the words. If you have physical store you should double your sales in the worst of
times by getting with the program. It is your human nature as a store owner
that is preventing you from getting to an exponential level. If you can get 100
visitors and close 1 of them you can do the same with 1000, 5000, 50,000. Your
real world limitations can be removed. Your geographic limitations can be
removed. But the one limitation that only YOU can remove is the one embedded in your mind. That has always proved to be the biggest obstacle. I believe once you close your mind to new frontiers and solutions, you lose.


I am amused to see so many believe that Wal-Mart is their
big competition. They are WRONG. Wal Mart competition? Your problem is you may
be blind to who your REAL competitor is. In the case of Main St. it is not Wal
Mart. It is Amazon! Oh your laughing?? That’s why I write this. Let me know
when you stop laughing and figure out that you should be crying for not being
in the game. Come on Main Street, wake up.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


Going Fishing! Enjoy the Summer!

Morning Folks!!


Time to take some time off and recharge the batteries for
what will be the most interesting Fall ever in the history of business. We are
at the “Everyone is full of shit” stage in the recession. The “Experts” that
did not see it coming even though that was what they were paid to do now say
the recession may be over. So let’s rip theses folks a new one.


First of all
even if they are right and the recession is over, the pain is just starting.
Let ME guess where we are at. My gut says we are in the “Eye of the storm.”
Folks that know about hurricanes know that the worst part of a hurricane is the
backside. After the “Eye” passes over. The eye is a calm period. Then WHAMMO!
With things already weakened it all comes again from the other direction.
Destruction is the end result.


What we are facing may mirror that storm. It
starts when the benefits and extensions for those that are unemployed run out. That
is the day the pain begins. Savings are gone. No income. Bills. Not a pretty
picture multiplied by 10-20 million. Compound that with a weakening dollar and
an out of control deficit and even if things are great there is a huge cloud to
follow.

Health-Care? You MUST pay attention. With negotiating so many contracts I know, we all know, just one sentence, one word,
one thing that can be twisted in that bill that nobody will read can be
monumental. Remember, these folks in Congress will all be gone by the time we
actually have to pay for it. By the time it takes effect in 2013. When the shit hits the fan. So what do they care?
Democrats and Republicans both expect them to know what they are voting on. Read the bill? Are YOU insane? YOU must be part of the NEW MOB! That MOB of
Americans that DARE ask their elected officials questions and expect a STRAIGHT
answer. Expect them to use good
judgment on OUR behalf. Please don't report me for making a 'Fishy post'. To indimidate folks from discussing this most important issue is the worst type of thuggery I have ever seen coming from so high up. Nobody should accept that! Disagree fine, shut folks up and intimidate them??? PLEASE!


Anyway, I will pop in for a couple posts in the next couple
weeks as news from TRAFFIC is released and we have a LOT of news to announce. I
should be able to release the domain name I sold this week as early as Monday. The selling price was $200,000. First contact from the buyer was a year ago. Hand registered in 1996.


Have a GREAT Day!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Stay Healthy!

Rick Schwartz


http://www.twitter.com/domainking


My 11th Sale

Morning Folks!!

I will be announcing another domain sale later this week.
This is a geo domain. Of course when I bought it and even before I sold it I
did not categorize it as a geo domain even though it is. This was an early
purchase back in 1996. Not a 7 figure domain. But a pretty good return if you
have patience.


More and more I look at domains as more than mining. In the
early days it was mining. Today it is watching fruit tress ripen and sweet
fruit to pick. I always do one
thing in life. I plant seeds. I plant seeds every day of my life. I don’t worry
about when or even if they will ripen. I know it is all about a percentage. If
you do your homework and you plant good seeds, then the chances of them getting
ripe are extremely high.


Most of my life I was a “Schlepper” . Not sure if I spelled that right. But
it means a salesman making money on a daily grind. Not the true translation. But it took on a new meaning over time. In furniture it was a cross between moving sofas from one part of the store to another or a guy on the road trying to sell his goods. Buying for $1, selling for
$2. No work, no money. Like a waiter. No work, no tips, no money. But when I
broke my back in 1988, I had to think of a different way to make money. A
smarter way. How do I make money from bed? It evolved over time. But what I
learned was not to worry about turning $1 in $2 today. I learned to plant the
seeds for tomorrow and allowing them to germinate, grow, mature, sweeten and
ripen. There was never a timetable involved. Just patience. If you plant enough
seeds and the seeds are good and the seeds germinate, there was never a sense
of urgency to do anything but keep planting seeds.


Each of these posts is a seed. I plant something each
morning. Alone they may or may not mean much. Together they may have great
value. Each sale I make is a piece of the puzzle. A clue into the direction and
pace of things. Stay tuned.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz