The Importance of Establishing an Viable Elite Auction

[Rubber Duck]

It is quite obvious from the attitudes of some here that there is not much support for an Elite Auction.

Before you all let this opportunity slip by, I would like to explain a little more about the reasoning behind this.

We at DNLocal are in the process of implementing our Elite Auctions because we strongly believe that to have such an auction is essential to overall sales structure of the market. The benefits are not for those with the highest quality domains, but for everyone, even those that don't feel inclined to participate.

The failure of Sedo and Moniker to implement a effective domain auctions at the top level has been catastophic for the aftermarket and one way or another this effects us all. The reasons for the failure are not abundantly clear, but they range for incompetance to indifference at best to sabotage at worst.

We should always take the development of the ASCII market as a guide. Here there has been massive speculation at the lower levels. Much of this speculation has been driven on low grade domains with little short-term prospects of traffic revenue, in the hope that the domains will increase in value. This speculation has been largely driven due to constant reports of big ticket sales of primary terms at Traffics and Sedo. Without the major retail markets, not only would the elite domainers have no market, but there would also be no momentum at the lower levels.

To try to prime this market I and others have placed a number of good terms on the market at low reserves, in some cases much lower than previous offers I have turned down. We have also cut the fees this time to the lowest level that we sensibly can, and for a very short while the entry fee is refundable so the cost of qualifying as a buyer is effectively nothing.

In short things do not get much better than this. We are approaching the time when is going to be almost impossible to add further names to the auction, and there is also a limit on how late we can add buyers to the auction. This is an excellent opportunity not only to get your names in the spot light in front of quality buyers, but also a good opportunity to pick up a bargain on some quality domains. Even though there is not much selling out there, there are very few quality dot coms going cheap in my assessment. This is an excellent opportunity, and possibly the last to pick up some real quality at bargain basement prices.

For those of you hoping to get some good placements in the Moniker Auctions, I wish you luck, but my assessment is that unless there is some real commercial pressure on them to provide a good service, you are going to be whistling in the wind.

[jacksonm]

The list of names appears to be missing / inaccessible now:

http://www.dnlocal.com/elite_auction/list_of_names_entering_into_elite_auction_ending_7th_may-t2278.0.html

However, I remember reading through it a few days ago and I thought it was quite a joke. How about putting some cities or countries up for sale instead of domains where the equivalents in ascii are so worthless that they are still parked? I *know* that there are massive amounts of prime terms in the hands of the members here, yet the names put forth were IMO worthless. I have seen names going for 50 bucks here that are better than the ones listed in the auction.

That about sums up my lack of interest as a buyer. Get people to put up some prime terms and you will likely interest a crowd.

.

[alpha]

I disagree with Jacksonm, they are not worthless, and certainly not worth $50 -

however..

as i said in an off-line discussion with RD, quality is the key - and i think to reel in quality buyers (aka to distinguish from normal buying in a regular forum thread) you need *big* names.

The bottom line is that *big* names are not being put forward, simply because no one wants to sell a *big* name yet in todays market.

RD, listen to the feedback you are getting, and adapt to fit.

[mulligan]

The list of names appears to be missing / inaccessible now:

http://www.dnlocal.com/elite_auction/list_of_names_entering_into_elite_auction_ending_7th_may-t2278.0.html

However, I remember reading through it a few days ago and I thought it was quite a joke. How about putting some cities or countries up for sale instead of domains where the equivalents in ascii are so worthless that they are still parked? I *know* that there are massive amounts of prime terms in the hands of the members here, yet the names put forth were IMO worthless. I have seen names going for 50 bucks here that are better than the ones listed in the auction.

That about sums up my lack of interest as a buyer. Get people to put up some prime terms and you will likely interest a crowd.

.
Errmm .. If it's Cities/Countries you are looking for then Cities/Countries there are ...
http://www.dnlocal.com/eliteauctions

[markits]

Agree with Alpha...

[thegenius1]

I disagree with Jacksonm, they are not worthless, and certainly not worth $50 -

however..

as i said in an off-line discussion with RD, quality is the key - and i think to reel in quality buyers (aka to distinguish from normal buying in a regular forum thread) you need *big* names.

The bottom line is that *big* names are not being put forward, simply because no one wants to sell a *big* name yet in todays market.

RD, listen to the feedback you are getting, and adapt to fit.

Thats how i see it

[jacksonm]

Errmm .. If it's Cities/Countries you are looking for then Cities/Countries there are ...
http://www.dnlocal.com/eliteauctions

Sorry, I should have been a little bit clearer.

"Italy" in Japanese is not a prime term in my book. "Japan" in Japanese would be a prime term.

Hohhot is a decent term, I admit. I didn't see anything else I'd be interested in than perhaps Hohhot, and it is still not that interesting.

I'm just saying, if you want to have an elite auction, then put up some elite names!

.

[mulligan]

So according to your standards Italy is not worth the $500 reserve?
And being realistic, even in the biggest auction venues I don't recall seeing a top city name being sold, like New York (I could be wrong on that though)

So rather than sit on our arse and bitch about DNAME or whine abt parking revenue we have and are doing things to try and give the IDN space a bit more credibility and move it forward.

It is easy to bitch from the sidelines, and then everyone is suddenly an expert and knows the right way to do things ... yet when it comes down to it not one is willing to step up and be counted

[mdw]

also agree with Alpha

It's hard to be critical here. A successful auction is really beneficial to all here. BUT - this crowd is not ready to cash out at current valuations. It's a chicken-and-egg problem.

So who amongst us will sacrifice their BEST domains for today's market prices??

[jacksonm]

So according to your standards Italy is not worth the $500 reserve?

No. Not when it's not in the primary language of the country it's located in.


And being realistic, even in the biggest auction venues I don't recall seeing a top city name being sold, like New York (I could be wrong on that though)

Well, there was Москва.com a few weeks ago, IIRC. But yeah, it was a private sale.


So rather than sit on our arse and bitch about DNAME or whine abt parking revenue we have and are doing things to try and give the IDN space a bit more credibility and move it forward.

Yet actions have spoken louder than words, nobody put any strong terms forward.

.

[mulligan]

Like I said, it is easy to be an expert and bitch from the sidelines

And .. there are many who would disagree with you about Italy.

If you want to pay peanuts then your portfolio will reflect that, coming late to the game will have it's price

[thegenius1]

No. Not when it's not in the primary language of the country it's located in.


.

Jackson i disagree with you on your valuations of Italy. But im not goin to hold hands and explain why !

[rhys]

"Italy" is a great name for the auction and well worth the $500. I'd like to see more in that vein.

[markits]

I guess I own few strong terms. However, I am not in a position to put them up for auction since I am a later starter and all my domains are acquired in the secondary market, with some from RD.

Many early starters here do own many top terms that I personally am willing to pay good prices for them.

[jacksonm]

Like I said, it is easy to be an expert and bitch from the sidelines

And .. there are many who would disagree with you about Italy.

If you want to pay peanuts then your portfolio will reflect that, coming late to the game will have it's price

Consider this, "israel" in chinese sold here for 35 bucks a month or so ago.

I was willing to pay 500 bucks for меха.com just a week or so ago, because I know it will be a cold day in hell before russian women start to give up their very expensive furs (and yes, меха is the primary advertising term, not мех). That was a decent term. I ended up getting it at a discount, but that's another story.

I think the problem is quite simple to understand for the prime terms: people are expecting to get 100k bucks per name 5 years or so and they just don't want to sell them now. However, with the organizers of the auction holding prime terms and having the agenda to push IDNs forward today, they should be willing to let some prime terms go for today's market values. That's called "breathing life into the market".

.

[thegenius1]

Dude have you looked at the stats of Italy in Japanese , do you know about how big of a tourist place this is for the Japanese ? Or are you just basing your assessments off other things you have seen on here lately. IF you are it holds no weight , alot of steals may transpire on here as people have to pay for renewals ect. don't always expect the prices of things not to fluctuate because of these reasons. But on the other hand don't expect those holding great names to give them up for penny's because of what "Israel in Chinese sold" ect. Also alot goes on behind the scenes that those that arent in the KNOW don't KNOW about BIG SALES ect.

Consider this, "israel" in chinese sold here for 35 bucks a month or so ago.

I was willing to pay 500 bucks for меха.com just a week or so ago, because I know it will be a cold day in hell before russian women start to give up their very expensive furs (and yes, меха is the primary advertising term, not мех). That was a decent term. I ended up getting it at a discount, but that's another story.

I think the problem is quite simple to understand for the prime terms: people are expecting to get 100k bucks per name 5 years or so and they just don't want to sell them now. However, with the organizers of the auction holding prime terms and having the agenda to push IDNs forward today, they should be willing to let some prime terms go for today's market values. That's called "breathing life into the market".

.

[Rubber Duck]

Well the opinions that matter are those of the Translators and the bidders. If you have a problem with any of the Translations you are welcome to post comments on the board. As we have two bidders starting above $500 dollars already with 6 days to go, it would seem your knowledge of the market is at best weak.

This, however, highlights the need to get some rules established. As Sellers only provide Punycode and Reserve Price, any adverse comment anywhere online will not be tolerated, and will result in a ban.



The list of names appears to be missing / inaccessible now:

http://www.dnlocal.com/elite_auction/list_of_names_entering_into_elite_auction_ending_7th_may-t2278.0.html

However, I remember reading through it a few days ago and I thought it was quite a joke. How about putting some cities or countries up for sale instead of domains where the equivalents in ascii are so worthless that they are still parked? I *know* that there are massive amounts of prime terms in the hands of the members here, yet the names put forth were IMO worthless. I have seen names going for 50 bucks here that are better than the ones listed in the auction.

That about sums up my lack of interest as a buyer. Get people to put up some prime terms and you will likely interest a crowd.

.

I disagree with Jacksonm, they are not worthless, and certainly not worth $50 -

however..

as i said in an off-line discussion with RD, quality is the key - and i think to reel in quality buyers (aka to distinguish from normal buying in a regular forum thread) you need *big* names.

The bottom line is that *big* names are not being put forward, simply because no one wants to sell a *big* name yet in todays market.

RD, listen to the feedback you are getting, and adapt to fit.

Really big names are only ever going to get sold into a healthy market.

There needs to be a big correction of buyers expectations before that can happen.

If this sale goes well, then we will give the possibility of rolling out something serious some thought.

[mulligan]

Consider this, "israel" in chinese sold here for 35 bucks a month or so ago.

I was willing to pay 500 bucks for меха.com just a week or so ago, because I know it will be a cold day in hell before russian women start to give up their very expensive furs (and yes, меха is the primary advertising term, not мех). That was a decent term. I ended up getting it at a discount, but that's another story.

I think the problem is quite simple to understand for the prime terms: people are expecting to get 100k bucks per name 5 years or so and they just don't want to sell them now. However, with the organizers of the auction holding prime terms and having the agenda to push IDNs forward today, they should be willing to let some prime terms go for today's market values. That's called "breathing life into the market".


Sheesh .. have a look at the numbers, they should tell you all you need to know about Israel in Chinese

I don't understand your logic but as a latecomer you will have to pay good money for good names and as time goes on that figure will only go up ... and if Italy doesn't fit in that bracket for $500 then I'd love to see what you expect for 10K

I can understand your frustration but that's the way it works out sometimes. I myself was 'just-in-time'

And it's not me you have to convince with regards to меха...

[Rubber Duck]

Sheesh .. have a look at the numbers, they should tell you all you need to know about Israel in Chinese

I don't understand your logic but as a latecomer you will have to pay good money for good names and as time goes on that figure will only go up ... and if Italy doesn't fit in that bracket for $500 then I'd love to see what you expect for 10K

I can understand your frustration but that's the way it works out sometimes. I myself was 'just-in-time'

And it's not me you have to convince with regards to меха...

Actually, I think меха.com was cheap for what it is worth. That is one of the problems of Forum Auctions, they tend to result in choas, and of late it has got worse with players deliberately trying to confuse the bidding. Add to that good names buried under a mountain of rubbish and confusion over translations and it is little wonder that buyers cannot achieve good value.

If you expect wealthy newcomers to join the fray, you are going to have to present them with something that is readily comprehensible to them. The Auction you have cited is a prime example of what will make them check out of here almost as soon as they land. The key to realising value is well ordered transparent markets. The alternative is something that to an outsider resembles a Menagerie. Well not just the outsiders actually!

[burnsinternet]

Before I get some angry rant directed at me.... I can't believe I am writing this... But...

I know this will anger some of you, but, even though I believe 'Italy' is worth more than $500, I don't want it that badly. The domains for sale are good ones, but I don't want any of them (personally). Sorry to have an opinion of my own, guys, but I do have the right to my own opinion, so don't flame me. When I want something, I buy it. Ask around.

Yes, chicken-egg. Many of us have so few 'premium' terms that it would be ridiculous for us to sacrifice them for those few who hold the most 'premium' keyword domains. We all know (or at least suspect) who holds what domains. We know what we would like to have. Why should we give up our few when we see so many castoffs at auction from those who have so many?

I remember seeing the domains regged in late 2005 and early 2006 and I see none of those in the auction. Look at the old posts here on IDNF and tell me I am wrong. No single letter/character... no golf/gold/diamond/finance/real estate or other killer domain to make us salivate... no city/prefecture/country in the local language.... Nothing to marvel at.

I am not judging anyone here, and I am not putting anyone down. Sorry to have an opinion of my own guys, but I do have the right to my own opinion. And don't berate us for stating our opinions on a forum.

[mulligan]

Criticism when it is constructive is welcome but when it isn't and is a simple bitching exercise then it isn't worth reading.
There is a lot of whining going on on this and other forums and the majority are happy to sit and whine and wait for the golden goose to start laying eggs in their laps .. well, as with most things in life if you don't go out and do it yourself nobody is going to do it for you.
So our auctions don't suit everyone? Well speak up and tell us what does ... We have plans for other types of auctions .. you want to see auctions that you want to take part in then let us know.
We can run auctions with million dollar reserves.
We can run auctions with no reserves and have them filled with the dross peddled every day here and elsewhere.

Our ultimate aim is to provide a platform where you can buy and sell credible IDNs so instead of complaining about the current auction let us know what you want to see and what your ideas are and what you think constitutes a good auction that you would like to take part in.

Or... you can pin your hopes on TRAFFIC and other Auction venues and see if that bears fruit for you

[Rubber Duck]

I am not trying to prevent anyone having an opinion that is fine.

I don't honestly care what you say about my domains but I will protect the interest of others using the Elite Auction.

The point is if the rules state you can only put up the punycode and reserve, and all other information has to come from third parties, it is just totally below the belt to make adverse comments on the domains. The principle is that the Seller buys a reserve level. He is not awarded it. He buys it. He is entitled to set whatever reserve he likes. The punycode is irrefutable, it is fundamental and incontestable. All other information is provided by a third party beyond the Sellers control. Those are the rules.

The whole point is that Auction is set up to prevent the Seller describing his own name. This is done to ensure objectivity. If the third party is not doing a good job then comment is warranted. Please don't berate a name because you don't like the reserve. That is the Seller's perogative. If you don't want to bid then don't bid.

I have tried to make the point quite strongly that if you sign up now, you will be refunded at the end of the introductory period, so entry is effectively free indefinitely. You don't even have to bid. If you choose to wait until we introduce a non-refundable entry fee then that is your choice. It doesn't make much sense, but I can respect that.

I know there is a lot of Green Eye around here, but the truth is some people have been working their butts off for a long time getting Forums and Auction Platforms working. There is a lot of admin involved in this Auction. At the moment we are charging next to nothing. At some point in time at sustainable business model is required. Those that think I and others should be devoting our lives for free in the service of the IDN community need to think again. The vast majority of Domainers contribute nothing of any value and frankly the parallels with IDNers is becoming very clear as well.

Frankly, I avoided getting involved in running the Forum for ages because I did not want the responsibility. I have taken it on because I view estabishment of a secondary market is a key objective that has to be attained. I would quite happily have stood back and let others do this. The bottom line is some have promised but none have really tried and one or two have taken the piss. If you are not going to make a commitment yourself to doing anything positive for the market, please don't make fools of yourselves by critising those that are.

Criticism when it is constructive is welcome but when it isn't and is a simple bitching exercise then it isn't worth reading.
There is a lot of whining going on on this and other forums and the majority are happy to sit and whine and wait for the golden goose to start laying eggs in their laps .. well, as with most things in life if you don't go out and do it yourself nobody is going to do it for you.
So our auctions don't suit everyone? Well speak up and tell us what does ... We have plans for other types of auctions .. you want to see auctions that you want to take part in then let us know.
We can run auctions with million dollar reserves.
We can run auctions with no reserves and have them filled with the dross peddled every day here and elsewhere.

Our ultimate aim is to provide a platform where you can buy and sell credible IDNs so instead of complaining about the current auction let us know what you want to see and what your ideas are and what you think constitutes a good auction that you would like to take part in.

Or... you can pin your hopes on TRAFFIC and other Auction venues and see if that bears fruit for you

I think it fair to say that we made every effort to sample opinion before this endeavour was launched. I put up several questionaire type polls both here and at dnlocal.com. The bottom line is we got very little useful information because most people just could not be arsed to respond.

[dusty]

Looks good. I am in. Nothing to lose by signing up.

[blastfromthepast]

I'm all for the elite, the best, the brightest, the richest, the polite Society, the upper crust, the aristorcracy, the kings and queens, emperors, fief holders, the domainers, the greedy inheritors of the realm, the truly exclusive riders of first class, the old shoes, best bred, old gaurd, the French Revolution be damned, buy your way in, elbow your registrar, own the dictionary, sell little, register much, beat snapnames, stroke your ego, get rich on PPC, the private island, the elusive peice of surf, buy out IREIT, put the ascii crowd to shame. You could be here too. If you were elite enough to buy IDNs in 2000.

But you didn't did you? So head over to the elite auction, your peice of eight is still up for grabs for pennies on the dollar of future value.

[clipper]

Wow, interesting thread.

We know what we would like to have. Why should we give up our few when we see so many castoffs at auction from those who have so many? ...
...I think the problem is quite simple to understand for the prime terms: people are expecting to get 100k bucks per name 5 years or so and they just don't want to sell them now. However, with the organizers of the auction holding prime terms and having the agenda to push IDNs forward today, they should be willing to let some prime terms go for today's market values. That's called "breathing life into the market"..
Great points, but it is a bit idealistic or egalitarian to think that early investors should cast away gems in an inefficient market in order to potentially stabilize the market. I thought this at first glance at this forum, when I realized just how few names held so many fantastic names, but it's just not realistic.

The fact is that investors get antsy. If they expected their investment to pay off in a year, and now, three years later, they don't see the typeins or Dname mapping they expected, they're going to reduce their risk by liquidating part of their portfolios at market value. An orderly market can facilitate this, though it may not produce immediate results.

You have to applaud RD's efforts in this respect.

Actually, ...That is one of the problems of Forum Auctions, they tend to result in choas, and of late it has got worse with players deliberately trying to confuse the bidding. Add to that good names buried under a mountain of rubbish and confusion over translations and it is little wonder that buyers cannot achieve good value.

On the contrary, it is precisely the inefficiency of such a market that creates value for buyers.

...The key to realising value is well ordered transparent markets...Those that think I and others should be devoting our lives for free in the service of the IDN community need to think again...I view estabishment of a secondary market is a key objective that has to be attained. I would quite happily have stood back and let others do this...
I am sure that we will all benefit from your efforts, RD, and I'm sure that others will follow in your footsteps to create the secondary market that is necessary to attain optimum value.

It is my opinion that the first DNLocal auction will be a success, even if only when viewed through the lens of time.

[Rubber Duck]

Yes, and just to underline the point, we have had a highly respected member, who I know would never cheat anyone, retract a name because it failed the third party translation test. A disappointment to be sure, but a good indication that the system works!!!

[burnsinternet]

OK, PM the link to sign up as a buyer, please. I am on board.

[bwhhisc]

OK, PM the link to sign up as a buyer, please. I am on board.

I am in as well, just back from too much work and traveling. Finally got a chance to look over the auction, very nice job of setting up the platform and all the thought that went into putting this project together.

Since this thread seems to be open to members comments, here's my 2 cents. I would be more excited to visit (and revisit) the auction if there were more listings and offerings. And maybe add a daily or weekly "spotlight" domain to build interest and get people checking to see the days featured listing. Those could fall into any price range. Visiting the auction site and finding the same offerings and nothing new isn't going to get visitors coming over daily.

Also, maybe just for the beginning month or two, a more flexible range of price catagories would allow more buyers to have interest and participate at the get go. The market is small now, so maybe give it some consideration. That can always be raised as the market matures. $100+ $250+ $500+ $750+ $1000+ $2500+ $5,000+ $10,000+ $25,000+ just some ideas to get more people in and participating and more "auctioning" happening.

Also, like Burns said earlier it would be fun to see more super high end domains offered. Open up the big gun catagories...that would be fun and exciting to see. All in all, good luck and much success and thanks for the hard work on this.

[burnsinternet]

Just signed on as a buyer.

If anyone has suggestions of other domain areas (language, industry) they'd like to see at the current auction minimums, post suggestions. I already posted mine. I will be putting domains up for appraisal to test reactions. Look for them here and at DNLocal.

[mulligan]

Thanks for the comments and your input will be taken on board. We have a number of auction formats under consideration and all constructive input is most welcome.

[touchring]

Sorry, I should have been a little bit clearer.

"Italy" in Japanese is not a prime term in my book. "Japan" in Japanese would be a prime term.

Hohhot is a decent term, I admit. I didn't see anything else I'd be interested in than perhaps Hohhot, and it is still not that interesting.

I'm just saying, if you want to have an elite auction, then put up some elite names!

.


Japanese IDNs command high PPC and rank easily on Yahoo, you can earn back the $500 in 6 mths (and probably in a much shorter time) if you get a freelancer to come out decent minisite. So why not??

Not all languages are of the same league.

[Rubber Duck]

Well I think we can promise you excitement. The Auction format allows for a lot of high quality names to close very quickly, and at short intervals between other good quality names. There will be no extension of Auctions, as I believe the greed of others has tended to kill the excitement of Auctions. Greed has been the motivation to introduce interminably extending Auction formats. In my view, this is totally counter-productive as it demotivates buyers, who realise there is little or no chance of sneaking a bargain. On the other hand buyers are very much put on the spot, because there are no second chances. I believe this kind of sudden death finish can provide some serious adrenaline rush, and we all know how addictive that can be.

Yes, we are looking at other format. The Elite Auction is set to be the flagship, and will be pushed progressively up market, with minimum reserves increasing as market conditions allow. Expect higher class names to come to the fore as sellers gain faith in the system.

Yes, we will be opening other formats. We want to provide a range of products but the market is not ready for all these ideas just yet. We also need to do a bit more technical work to enable things to be a bit more automated. I think the Elite Auction is the only one where we will require third party translations, so hopefully
we can streamline things a bit for other formats. Of course any feedback or input on our Auctions and where you would like to see them go will be most welcome.


I am in as well, just back from too much work and traveling. Finally got a chance to look over the auction, very nice job of setting up the platform and all the thought that went into putting this project together.

Since this thread seems to be open to members comments, here's my 2 cents. I would be more excited to visit (and revisit) the auction if there were more listings and offerings. And maybe add a daily or weekly "spotlight" domain to build interest and get people checking to see the days featured listing. Those could fall into any price range. Visiting the auction site and finding the same offerings and nothing new isn't going to get visitors coming over daily.

Also, maybe just for the beginning month or two, a more flexible range of price catagories would allow more buyers to have interest and participate at the get go. The market is small now, so maybe give it some consideration. That can always be raised as the market matures. $100+ $250+ $500+ $750+ $1000+ $2500+ $5,000+ $10,000+ $25,000+ just some ideas to get more people in and participating and more "auctioning" happening.

Also, like Burns said earlier it would be fun to see more super high end domains offered. Open up the big gun catagories...that would be fun and exciting to see. All in all, good luck and much success and thanks for the hard work on this.

[bwhhisc]

Well I think we can promise you excitement. The Auction format allows for a lot of high quality names to close very quickly, and at short intervals between other good quality names. There will be no extension of Auctions, as I believe the greed of others has tended to kill the excitement of Auctions. Greed has been the motivation to introduce interminably extending Auction formats. In my view, this is totally counter-productive as it demotivates buyers, who realise there is little or no chance of sneaking a bargain. On the other hand buyers are very much put on the spot, because there are no second chances. I believe this kind of sudden death finish can provide some serious adrenaline rush, and we all know how addictive that can be.

Yes, we are looking at other format. The Elite Auction is set to be the flagship, and will be pushed progressively up market, with minimum reserves increasing as market conditions allow. Expect higher class names to come to the fore as sellers gain faith in the system.

Yes, we will be opening other formats. We want to provide a range of products but the market is not ready for all these ideas just yet. We also need to do a bit more technical work to enable things to be a bit more automated. I think the Elite Auction is the only one where we will require third party translations, so hopefully
we can streamline things a bit for other formats. Of course any feedback or input on our Auctions and where you would like to see them go will be most welcome.

Looking forward to it all. Thanks for the update and information.

[alpha]

so have more names been added now?

can you post them here, save me the trouble of remembering my login details over there?

[Rubber Duck]

so have more names been added now?

can you post them here, save me the trouble of remembering my login details over there?

No loggin required to view, but you need to be qualified to bid:

dnlocal.com/eliteauctions

I would have to say, however, that this auction is not primarily aimed at those that cannot be arsed to show up.

[alpha]

No loggin required to view, but you need to be qualified to bid:

dnlocal.com/eliteauctions

I would have to say, however, that this auction is not primarily aimed at those that cannot be arsed to show up.

wow, the Public Relations machine is in full-steam-ahead mode.

[Rubber Duck]

wow, the Public Relations machine is in full-steam-ahead mode.

The Elite philosophy relates to the names in a specific auction format rather than an "Invitation Only" concept. We are not trying to create an elitist group as some have suggested. We are also not going to be trying to press-gang drunks in pubs either. I think most people here have got the concept of navigation by URL. Everyone is welcome to come and visit us and we would be even more delighted for you to take advantage on our Introductory Period offer for qualification.

We are of course aware that there is substantial sceptical and even lethargic crowd here. It is unlikely that we will motivate a significant number of members here to aspire to higher things. Everyone is being informed. Everyone has the opportunity to participate. Everyone of course has the freedom to bury their head in the sand.

[alpha]

RD, you're open to feedback right?

and i'll try and be as constructive as possible.

I have already said that you need more quality names, and in that thread a few more people chimed in with the same feedback. But you chose to file it under the category of "la-la-la, i'm not listening, la-la..."

fair enough.

my next piece of feedback is that you are faced with an uphill struggle to get this to fly, you will agree with me on that.

so why on earth are you making life even harder by charging people to register?

[Rubber Duck]

Actually, I don't think things are going too badly. We seem to have a hard core of motivated buyers forming. Qualificaiton of buyers is key to our principle. We do not want a situation like the one at Sedo, which is now somewhat improved due to implementation of certain proceedures where people find it amusing to turn up bid anonmously and then never appear again. We also do not want a situation where buyers feel that the Auction is being in someway manipulated by the sellers. Frankly, the only way to avoid the normal abuses that most Auctions suffer is make people feel that is a priveledge to be qualified as a buyer.

As you will have noted that we have an Introductory Period where we have effectively made it free to join for those that sign up quickly. I can tell you that we have been discussion this morning about how and when this offer will terminate.

You are making judgements about the quality of names and success of our model which are untenable prior to the running of the first auction. I am not saying that you are not right, but it is a question of balancing supply and demand, and we will make ongoing judgements in this regard.

I believe we are listening but we will be listening most carefully to those that are registering names and who have already qualified as buyers. Listening doesn't mean implementing every suggestion that each individual puts forward. We did try to sample opinion before we came up with this Auction Model, we got very limited feedback. One thing is very obvious, is that the number of people in the domain industry that will work constructively to attain a useful mutual goal, is a lot smaller than those those that prepared to throw brik-bats at every available opportunity.


RD, you're open to feedback right?

and i'll try and be as constructive as possible.

I have already said that you need more quality names, and in that thread a few more people chimed in with the same feedback. But you chose to file it under the category of "la-la-la, i'm not listening, la-la..."

fair enough.

my next piece of feedback is that you are faced with an uphill struggle to get this to fly, you will agree with me on that.

so why on earth are you making life even harder by charging people to register?

[alpha]

... we got very limited feedback

and when you do get feedback, a torrent of abuse is released from your team (and i can't quite remember the context) accusing everyone of not wanting to help, being negative, not helping the market etc etc.

like i said, it's a PR car crash.


you are creating additional barriers to entry that needn't be there.

As much as you will disagree with me, this is not T.r.a.f.f.i.c, you are not going to sell out all your tickets, and have to try and come up with ingenious ways of creating barriers to entry just to shorten the attendee list. you should be making it as easy as possible. Not create a registration fee, but really refund it, but now thinking about removing that refund part. wtf is all that about.

I am so confused about what i would have to pay or not, or pay and get back or not - i can't be arsed. I'm just goin to hang around here instead and wait for the odd prime name to come up, IDN puts up some elite one from time to time

[jacksonm]

I'm just goin to hang around here instead and wait for the odd prime name to come up, IDN puts up some elite one from time to time


Same here.

Plus, I don't understand the market well enough to realize that I should want those names.

.

[Rubber Duck]

Not really a torrent of abuse, otherwise you would have quoted it.

I recognize that I am not big enough to massively move the market on my own. I also know that handing over dozens of premium domains for a pittance is in fact likely to have the opposite effect. Of course, it might involve the transfer from my portfolio to yours which from one perspective at least might be regarded as highly beneficial.

and when you do get feedback, a torrent of abuse is released from your team (and i can't quite remember the context) accusing everyone of not wanting to help, being negative, not helping the market etc etc.

like i said, it's a PR car crash.


you are creating additional barriers to entry that needn't be there.

As much as you will disagree with me, this is not T.r.a.f.f.i.c, you are not going to sell out all your tickets, and have to try and come up with ingenious ways of creating barriers to entry just to shorten the attendee list. you should be making it as easy as possible. Not create a registration fee, but really refund it, but now thinking about removing that refund part. wtf is all that about.

I am so confused about what i would have to pay or not, or pay and get back or not - i can't be arsed. I'm just goin to hang around here instead and wait for the odd prime name to come up, IDN puts up some elite one from time to time

Same here.

Plus, I don't understand the market well enough to realize that I should want those names.

.

Maybe not, but even as a non-participant you will gain valuable market data.

[rhys]

So RD how does this refund work. I send Elite Auctions $100 and you send it back to me?

[Rubber Duck]

So RD how does this refund work. I send Elite Auctions $100 and you send it back to me?

Refunding by Paypal is a doddle.

When we decide that we have a critical mass of serious buyers, then we will hit the refund commands on the orders at Paypal and you will get your money back. Once the Introductory Period is over all subsequent entry fees will be non-refundable. To date the system seems to be working. We have had a good number of people who I can identify as being serious buyers register. We have not had any applications from people that I cannot identify as serious buyers. The idea is primarily to ensure that we don't get frivolous bidders. I am fairly confident that this will not be a major problem from what I have witnessed to date.

[rofsjan]

An auction with valuable domain names sounds good.
A forum that provides a secure financial intermediary
to ensure payment is secured. Not for 10% like Sedo.
This combination (valuable domains, secure payment,
communication on forum, easyness, low fees) will be attractive
for IDN-buyers, sellers and intermediaries.

[Rubber Duck]

DNLocal are pleased to be able to inform you that we have launched a new Auction.

The new Lucky Dip Auction is distinct from our Elite Auction format. What we have done is opened up buying and selling to all. This format relies on the Sellers own descriptions for the Auction lots and the Reserve Prices are limited to $500. This is an experimental format, but the Auction is entirely free to enter. You will need to register for an Auction ID to bid but there is no fee.

Further details can be found here:

http://www.dnlocal.com/special_auctions/the_dnlocal_lucky_dip_auction_may_9th_may_16th-t2427.0.html;msg11855;topicseen=#new