The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning Folks!!

Teem.com is a domain that keeps on giving like an ugly duckling sprouting into the Golden Goose. Last night I got another email from them. They have ANOTHER $173,000 in holdback money that I will be getting in 2019. That brings the total deal to $1,150,000. It is now my most lucrative hand registered domain name ever. $35 in 1998. 

That means I doubled my money more than 15 times in 18 years. And that does not include PPC revenue over the years!

$35, $70, $140, $280, $560, $1020, $2040, $4080, $8160, $16,320, $32,640, $65,280, $130,560, $261,120, $522,240, $1,044,480, And that still leaves $105,000 and change!

And here is the complete list of things you could have put $35 in during 1998 and have a bigger return. 

Stocks? NONE! Bonds? NONE! Real Estate? NONE! In fact, the only one I could find would be Bitcoin. But even bitcoin you would have had to buy it at 10 cents or below. 

There was and has been no better investment and ROI than domain names. GREAT and even MEDIOCRE domain names that all end in .COM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The domain itself was sold for less than 10% of that final figure. The remainder came from my 1.5% equity play! It also notches another 7 figure domain sale for me. I have lost count!

In 1996, I said I would never sell a domain for under $15k and I was laughed at. In 1999, my minimum number went to $50k and the laughter was louder. In 2001 my minimum for a domain was $100,000. And it has remained that ever since. With the exception of a couple domains I sold strictly for the tex benefit.

I don't quote $15,000 anymore. Not $50,000 anymore. Not $100,00 anymore. In FACT, my lowest price going forward will be $250,000. And let me state clearly, it does not matter what the domain is. It is about the demand for that name. The importance. The overall market.

To me, it's the comparable value to opening a real world business. You can't even buy the land for $250k. 10 years RENT is $250k. 10 years of employees manning the store is more than $250k. My point is even at $250k, the domain name is CHEAP when you compare. And just because many domainers are WEAK and are FOOLS and use ESTIBOT does not mean I have to be one too! 

So, you want my domain? I will sell it for a PENNY! But that equity better be worth millions!

How do you do a deal with equity?? DEMAND IT!

My biggest equity stake remains Candy.com at 12.55%. The company is a monster now. I am not at liberty to tell you their volume, but it is stunning!

I also have shares of my Punchbowl.com which is now owned partly by Party City. They have been growing at a fast pace and have major deals in place with Disney.

What's next? I don't know. I will say that Homemade.com is my #1 domain for inquiries this year. I won't be selling that baby without equity! Estibot has it at $83,000. We will see who has the closer valuation in time! Here is a hint. It ain't Estibot!

But 99% of domainers would grab that $83,000 in a heartbeat. Not me! WHY???? Because I KNOW and I UNDERSTAND, VALUE! I won't leave THAT MUCH money on the table! I'd rather pass than be a fool! My money is SAFE owning domains like this. I have no problem holding a great asset!

Homemade.com was created on December 25, 1995. One day before I got my first domain. It was bought by me from a 3rd party. I paid $5500 and also got Wad.com and Rumormill.com in the deal. That's why I don't worry about selling EVER!

Lastly, I don't care if folks know what I paid for a domain name. I know many domainers do. That's from weakness. What I paid has no bearing on value or sales price. NONE!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

You can't make this stuff up. According to Domainincite.com, Johnson and Johnson had an abortion with .Baby and so .xyz takes over another dead extension. "DIE ON THE VINE!" Where have I heard that?

So this adds another failed GTLD to the list that seems to be growing faster and faster! The consolidation you will see in the next 12-36 months will be stunning!! I would predict that 90%+++ of ALL new GTLD's will fail and be taken over by one of 3 or 4 companies. Those companies probably trying to become big enough to be looked at as a takeover. 

J&J paid over $3 MILLION for a worthless extension. SCHMUCKS!!! It PROVES that Baby.COM is worth MORE! FAR MORE!!! They still own that!!

And speaking of SCHMUCKS, Estibot has baby.com valued at $192,000. REALLY ESTIBOT???? They are HARMING the domain industry and resales with their useless and uneducated CRAP!! Any domainer using ESTIBOT as a baseline is a SCHMUCK!! If you have to use ESTIBOT, you are NO domainer! This is a tool for BUYERS to shake your ass down! Don't let them!

When will I stop talking about GTLD's? When they are all DEAD AND BURIED! Of the 549 active new GTLD's, over 400 are NOT VIABLE!! They can't even pay their overhead! Their ONLY HOPE is consolidation and to be bought out for PENNIES on the dollar!

There are 500 new GTLD extensions that are going to DIE and be worthless! But keep buying that crap! Keep losing money!

Between Crypto, GTLD's and the stock market, there are a lot of domainers in a whole lotta pain. Self-inflicted pain! 

And don't listen to these guy claiming that had a great year! Yeah, when you go from $15k a year to $40k a year they think they are on fire! 

This was a FOOLS GAME from day one and I am stunned by all the FOOLS! But don't listen to me and don't listen to those trying to sell you THIR CRAP!! LEARN ABOUT NUMBERS! Learn about marketing! Learn about Critical Mass. Learn about History!  Just LEARN!!!

Stop being GULLIBLE!! That should be the middle name of the domain industry. GULLIBLE!! Because 95% of domainers sell their domains to other domainers. By definition that means they either sell to those that know less than them because they have worthless domains or sell to those that know much more than them and make more than them because they are leaving $$$,$$$ on the table. NOT SMART. 

How would I rate the state of the Domain Industry? POOR! Not because of lack of sales, but because of lack of direction and continuity and importance. The Industry has no purpose and stands for nothing.

On Wednesday I start my 25th year as a domain name investor and collector. I came to domaining alone, I will leave domaining alone. We are each on an individual journey. Other domainers won't make you money. They COST you money! Stop listening to those with an agenda. That's the definition of GULLIBLE!!

Gullible: easily persuaded to believe something; credulous. having or showing too great a readiness to believe things. gullible, naive, too trusting, easily taken in, impressionable, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unquestioning. inexperienced, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed; wet behind the ears.

Yup, sounds like the GREAT majority of domainers! The last thing these folks will entertain is reality! Gullible people will get mad at me for pointing it out but they won't get mad at those that take advantage of them in the first place. That does not make them too smart! They define gullible and all the emotions and calamity that go with it!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I hate to exercise. I don't believe in it. I think it does more harm than good. I think the fitness industry is basically bogus. All my friends get injured in the gym. Some pretty bad. Yes, I know you don't agree. But I don't care. I still won't exercise.

Do you remember Jack LaLanne? He was called the "Godfather of Fitness". That was before there was a "Fitness Industry". He talked about nutrition when most folks did not know what a calorie was. 

There were 3 national channels back in the 1950's and if you were in New York area there were 2 or 3 more local channels. There was no TV at night! It was BLACK SCREEN! Then around 5AM the "Test Pattern" came on to test the signal and tone. That would stay on until 5:30 and then Jack LaLanne would start the TV day on one of the local New York channels. I remember having to adjust the "Rabbit ears" so the picture would not be "Snowy". 

Jack was a weightlifter but had only one prop on TV, one machine, just one all in one. Remember what it was? It was a kitchen chair! Why? Because everyone had one! It was a pure show and he wanted eyeballs to sell ads to his sponsors but had not tapped into the direct fitness market because there was none at that time. He learned later on tho. From fitness guru to fitness selling whore. (with all respect and love!)

Walking, swimming and sex are arguably the best exercises. But not many people make money if you walk or get it on. They make more money if you believe this $12,000 all in one is better! lol

But that has nothing to do with this blog post. Let's talk about exercising the brain. the mind. The thought process. The decision making ability. Those are the 6 pack abs I like to focus on. 

For me it started back in my early 20's. In those days I drove an average of 300-400 miles per day for YEARS. I had a lot of time to think. There was no cell phone. No Fedex. No laptop. Oh yeah, our computers were 3x5 index cards. I was too lazy to fill them out or keep track. I was always in a hurry! I was unprepared and unprofessional. 

I would drive from Dallas to El Paso. There was not much in between. 635 miles of nothing! The exits in west Texas could easily be 50 miles apart or more. I would spend 1 day in El Paso and then start the 797 mile trek to Los Angeles. I would drive over 1400 miles in just a couple to 3 days with an 8 track! Listen to Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, America, Seals and Croft, John Denver. Gives a young man a lot of time to think. Think DEEP!! NO DISTRACTIONS! Something I didn't do much of in High School and even less in college. But now I was in life itself and I had to figure things out to survive and thrive.  All I knew is If I did not make $100/day, I would be sleeping in my car.

That is when and where I became a thinker. I had the time to drill down deep to find answers. I used to simply scratch the surface and look for the answer I wanted. But as I would drill down I would find evidence that the answer I wanted was not reality.  As a 23 year old, reality is never that easy to swallow. It's like reading the fine print of life! 

Ever see a car ad and you can get a brand new Mercedes for $149/month. It sounds great if you are naive. Then you read the fine print. $5000 down and trade in worth at least $5000 and, and, and. And it's only good on the ugly green one with the blue stripe!

Everyone I know is always in a hurry. But when you are in a rush, that is in direct conflict to good decision making and thinking. That thought process takes time and focus.

Some people think small decisions are insignificant. WRONG!! WRONG!! WRONG!! The smallest decision can also be the biggest and I can prove it!. 

The smallest grain of sand can bring the biggest engine to a screetching halt!

That's a fact! So when you apply that to decision making and YOUR own personal destiny, it may be life changing! So NEVER EVER dismiss a small decision especially if it has the ability to impact something else. 

Getting to the airport at a certain time may be a small decision. But if you did not leave enough time for something unexpected and you are late and the plane takes off and the next flight is in 2 days and then you miss your 21 day African Safari that you already paid for and your vacation is all messed up and you don't get another one for a year and you would have met the girl of your dreams.......

The "Great Gratz" once told me a great way to approach something. He said, "When you are in a hurry, NEVER RUSH!" in other words. Take a deep breath and be deliberate even if you are late.

But then I added a few things to the Great Gratz! I saw his shortfalls and why he needed to learn that.  My additions include Postponing s decision if you are being pressured. Sleep on it when you are not sure. But then also know the difference calamity can make and prevent being in a hurry to begin with!! That's why I am always early. I would arrive sometimes a day early as an insurance policy against "CALAMITY"!

I am not a fast runner. But my mind will outpace the fastest.

I don't have the strength to lift even 100lbs. But my thought process can move mountains.

The obstacle course runner uses his or her great overall strength and physical ability to overcome the challenges that lay ahead in a measured course. My mind uses that strength and ability to overcome the obstacles and challenges of life and the course never ends. 

The true champions we worship and know do both. That means I am only working at 50%. So I better think harder, faster and smarter to even have a chance to compete. That was the day in life that I realized what made great athletes great. What made Olympians a cut above. It was their minds. Their minds control their bodies.  Their minds directed their bodies. 

Now it's true that some just had raw physical ability and their minds shall we say were less developed. But even many of those wired that way eventually were able to harness that strength and re-direct some of it to the mind. 

When I write, my job is to provoke! Provoke thought! Provoke your mind into action. Provoke enough thought that it would force you to read and comment. If I fail to do that, I have failed you, the reader. 

If I come over and just kick you in the balls I am going to provoke a reaction 100% of the time. But MY JOB is to kick us all in the mind! It's much harder to provoke a reaction. 

And that is what selling is. To provoke a reaction. The fitness industry are experts at provoking a reaction and marrying it with an emotional reaction as well. The gym equipment, that's just their vehicle. Their MINDS are making money! Salute! 

The human mind is perhaps the most powerful force ever known. It is capable of achieving great and unbelievable things and the power to destroy everything in its path! Controlling that engine is a full time exercise. The mind is everything.  

Rick Schwartz

PS: I met the "Great Gratz" when I was 29 and he was about 60. He died about 10 years ago. He taught me how to do things in a big and meaningful way. But by observing him in action I also learned his weaknesses and how not to do things. I am grateful for both! RIP Bill.

Morning Folks!!

The real estate market is based on a square foot price. Prices range from perhaps $50/foot or less in places like Detroit and rural areas to over $10,000/foot in places like Manhattan and even more in places like Hong Kong or Singapore.

But what's the square foot price for a domain name? I think you would need a MICROSCOPE to even see it!

Mattress Firm HAD 700 stores until this year when they started to close them all. Why? Online stores ate their lunch. Put them out of business. Outperformed and out delivered them.

How much did it cost to run 700 stores vs a $10/year renewal????

How about Sears? THOUSANDS of big box stores. How is that microscope. Can you measure it yet? Imagine if they closed all their losers 20 years ago and focused on Sears.com and/or generics and had an actual Internet strategy.

I look at the value of a domain name thru a different lens. I ask different questions. I make different comparisons. I see a different picture.

Who would think a microscope and domain name have anything in common?

Why is something that is OBVIOUS to me (and hopefully most of my readers) with the naked eye still invisible to the end user in ways that would transform their businesses?

If you could go back in time wouldn't you try and shake up Sears and the rest?? Would their destiny be the same if they took the path I have suggested vs the path they took and lost everything??

ToyRus, another example. How much per Square foot were they spending? Gone!

They all went extinct and so many more to follow because they spent MILLIONS and BILLIONS when less than a PENNY would do!

How much is a PENNY a square foot if you can cover the entire world?? But it's MUCH less!

May need a "Hubble Microscope" to crunch these TINY numbers!

The way I look at the universe, nothing is more powerful than a great domain name in full and universal use. Amazon vs Sears. Which side of the Telescope or Microscope should we look through??

It's a CHOICE! Just cuz the masses of  CEO's have not figured it out yet and some schmucks literally ran 100 year old companies right into the ground, does not mean WE have to be dumb too. The demise of Sears should be a movie for all to learn from. Who would you blame? Let's start a list!

That said, I have called Sears leaders the "Ivory Tower Boys" since I was 21 and calling on them. They sat up in their tower in Chicago and had an attitude you could smell all the way to Miami. I am so glad it is Sears that went belly up. Sears and their arrogance, now DEAD! They sqaure footed themselves to death!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

The turtle always wins the race and the turtle in GTLD  domaining land is .App. The growth is slow, steady, healthy and backed by Google. The last time I wrote about .App it was #16 heading for #13 and today it is heading for #12 as the .Men continues to melt down.  .Win is also in meltdown mode. 1.3 Million at the peak to less than 500k today and crashing.

The top 10 GTLD's control 55% of ALL registrations. That mean that 45% of the pie is SHARED among the other 500-600. Get it??

And of the top 10 you have the most .CRAP! .Top leading the way. Over 14% share. The top 10 have more registrations by far than the other 500-600 combined.

Now let's name the top 10 normal extensions that the average person on the street may be able to actually name and see where we are:

.com

.net

.org

.edu

.tv

.us or their local country code

THAT'S IT!!! I can't say I have ever seen anything else ever advertised on TV or magazines. Maybe .info.

These are the only ones I personally know off the top of my head and I have been doing this for 23 years. These are  the ones that are advertised. These are the ones on billboards and buses. This is what society recognizes. Ask a stranger. That's when you will understand REALITY!

I do see .xyz in use. Mostly by spammers and adult models. But they are in use. I don't think normal companies will engage in .xyz for the long run as the negative reputation grows. Resale demand will be limited with a low ceiling at best.

.vip is flatlining. From their graph of registrations it is my opinion that they have a few guys with a LOT of domains and it is not a widespread customer base. So a crash can occur there imho.

.online seems to be the strongest of the top 10. First of all Godaddy is #1. However I have many "online" domains. I have had very little interest in them over the years.

.shop was looking promising but it is now starting to show weakness.

.ltd, I don't see long term demand. Maybe when Ford made their LTD car back in the 1970's. Another extension that appears to have peaked and has a few domainers that plunged and bought a lot. We will see as they drop. Godaddy has 8000 out of 600,000 registrations.

.loan has 2.2 million registrations. Godaddy has 857 of them. I rest my case.

.club puts away. But those guys WORK! They speak at every trade show. They sponsor meetups, they work it! But even with a full court press over 5 years, they are still only at about 15% of promised registrations. And they have significant overhead with their marketing. Registrations that peaked at 1.5 million are now down to 1.1 million. Godaddy has about 25% of those registrations. They have struggled to keep their numbers over the 1 million reg. mark.

If the .com guys are struggling to sell their assets, and they are, and bitcoin $$$ are GONE, and MOST GTLD's are held by DOMAINERS, do you really think there is enough oxygen for survival as we go into year SIX and SEVEN??

They all want to copy .com but not a one copied it right! How many times did I write about extensions DYING ON THE VINE?? How could ANY of my astute readers not see this coming?

It's a bloodbath that will play out with 1000 cuts. I hope they come out with 1000 more new gtld's!

I ask a simple question: Which new GTLD's could actually run and pay for and AFFORD several Super Bowl ads to breakthrough?

It's a KNEE SLAPPER!

.App, .Web and both are still 100-1 shots. But when you are in a sea of 10,000,000-1 shots, them are good odds my friends!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

If you don't LEARN from history you WILL repeat history. Last year at this very moment Bitcoin was the hottest gift and commodity on the planet. Fast Forward to this year and it is as cold as it was hot. This morning dropping to a bit over $3600.

The bloom is off the rose and if you think Bitcoin is bad, just imagine how all the other coins are doing. OUCH!!

Is it over? It may be. Personally I think it may end up around the same price as gold at around $1200. So there is a long way to the bottom. Crisis is the only thing that may bring bitcoin back. Other than crisis, the demand is just not there.

So what do you think? Is Bitcoin done? Is Crypto done? Where will Bitcoin be trading at next Christmas?

I cashed in all my Bitcoin at the end of last year and early this year. I started buying in 2013. I won't be investing in it again.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Black Friday, Black Friday, Black Friday. That's what we hear about. But what if Black Friday Turns Red? Turns into RED FRIDAY??

It may happen, and it may happen as soon as TODAY!

For Sears and Toy's R Us, It's DEAD Friday! Others, mostly brick and mortar, will be following in just DAYS! Some have held on for dear life trying to make it to today and on thru Christmas. Bankruptcy Monday is coming SOON!

A LOT of wealth came out of the markets in the last few days. The average portfolio took a very big hit. The high flyers like Facebook, Apple, Square and others got MASSACRED!

And let's not forget about the Bitcoin CRASH! Nearly $20k at this time last year, the hottest Christmas gift for movers and shakers and now trying to hold on to $4000.

Will this tighten some purse strings? You bet it will. Black Friday, TODAY, may look more like a hangover after a multi-day binger. If that occurs, we will see Red Friday and it won't be pretty. If you think the stock market is a mess now, wait until the plunge of retail sales. Then you will see a REAL plunge!

I don't know how it will go today, but it's definitely something I would be concerned about during the years ahead.

Happy Black Friday!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

The biggest shift in Internet use in nearly 2 decades has occurred in 2018. The shift may be invisible to the masses but they should be vividly clear if you make your living online.

As I stated in an earlier post this month, "Social is no longer Social, it's Dangerous." So the major cratering that is occurring started there. That's ground zero for this Internet Earthquake we ARE experiencing.

General Electric, once one of the world's largest, richest and most distinguished companies is in trouble. They are selling off assets to survive.

We all know the story with Sears. Everyday for them is "Black Friday" because they are selling everything including their land and their gondolas. Bye Bye Sears.

This year there is no Toy's R Us.

The largest amount of retail closings will start happening at the end of December right into January.

And retail is just one sector. Manufacturing could wobble depending on the sector.

But I have not even reached the real problems. As a trained eye could see, Facebook is now down about 40% from their high and still going down. Same with Twitter and many others. Is it possible their best days are behind them? YES IT IS! How is MySpace doing these days?

The bean counters have been so geared to growth that they ruined many of their own products. They tarnished brands. Remember when Apple had GREAT customer service? That was what propelled them along with a great product. Now, Apple has among the worst Customer Service. Rivals other large firms in a race to the bottom.

AT&T screwed up Directv. Directv used to have great customer service. Now they don't. I am sure each and every one of you have you own stories of companies that you used to be a fan of but now, not so much.

Sony was baloney for 20 years now. But Apple may catch up if their current trend continues.

Online companies taking political stances are playing with fire regardless of the stance or the direction. Those idiot bean counters may not see it in the numbers today or last quarter, they sure as hell will see it in 2019 and beyond.

The stock market has taken a severe hit. Will this be the year the Grinch Stole Christmas? For some it will. Amazon and Google and many others have both sides of the political spectrum angered. That will have a financial impact of some sort. Stay tuned.

Just remember that just 12 months ago Bitcoin was the hottest Christmas Gift since the Pet Rock. Trading at nearly $20k. I stated many times I was a buyer UP TO $5,000. It is trading as low as $4300 in the past 24 hours. A lot can change in a very SHORT 12 months.

Ugly has not even started. There is a shift in progress and some fault lines are going to be exposed. Some may be very surprising. Fasten your seat belts.

The Internet was the last big thing that saved the financial universe. What's the next one?

Rick Schwartz

PS: Always remember that during turbulent times, some of the best opportunities present themselves.

Morning Folks!!

"Premium Domains", "Unique Domains" please! I get these silly LISTS of "Premium Domains" all day long. Well folks, if it is a "Premium Domain" it belongs by itself. Not mixed in with 100 other domains that are also called "Premium Domains". By the face of it it sounds more like you have "Premium Pigeon Shit" all wrapped up in one bundle. Trying to sell that crap before you are forced to drop them.

Do you know how stupid it looks? It looks like domainers are trying to sell pickles and hammers to the same person. To the same market. Really? Why not just add Toe Jam?

Yes, domains, ALL domains, each and every one of them is "Unique". So stop stating the obvious. It makes you look foolish.

And since a domain is unique, how you sell each one may have to be unique. The audience you seek may have to be unique.

Domains are bought and sold 1 domain at a time. And there is a HUGE difference between someone trying to sell a domain as opposed to a party wanting to buy a domain.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

The gift that keeps giving. In September Teem.com was bought out and I got a SURPRISE check for $642,000. Bringing my total of the Teem.com sale to just about $800k.

I wake up this morning with another email. I guess there was a bit of a "Holdback" and I just found out I am getting another $173,000.

Bringing the total of the sale of Teem.com to $973,000.00 from a $35 hand registration in 1998.

Rick Schwartz