Lucky Dip Auction

[Rubber Duck]

Well our first Elite Auction is out of the way, so we are now busy launching our Lucky Dip Format.

You can enter up to two names with your own Translations, unless you are one of our Qualified Buyers for the Elite Auction in which case you can enter 5. You can put on any reserve you choose up to a limit of $500.

I shall be entering the unsold names I put into the last Elite Auction with NO RESERVE, so hopefully there should be a bit of interest.

To bit you will need to register as a buyer. Registration for this first Auction is free, but you cannot bid without an Auction ID. Qualified Buyers can use their permanent IDs to bid in any of Auctions.

For full details of this Auction please use this link:

http://www.dnlocal.com/special_auctions/the_dnlocal_lucky_dip_auction_may_9th_may_16th-t2427.0.html

[alpha]

how was the Elite auction? would you say it went as you expected it to?

did you learn anything from it?

will there be another?

will it be the same format?

[Rubber Duck]

how was the Elite auction? would you say it went as you expected it to?

did you learn anything from it?

will there be another?

will it be the same format?

It was under supported. But I cannot say I am entirely surprised. It was also a very quiet night online. This forum was empty as well. Not sure of the reasons for that, but the date was clearly a bad judgement call.

It seems that message of getting people to invest before the traffic materialises is largely falling on deaf ears. But it all may be academic as from the scant info that I am getting things are starting to move on the traffic side. It seems that we the answer is for sellers to just be a bit more patient and wait for the demand to materialise. I have come to the conclusion that trying to educate people about the opportunity at hand is almost a complete waste of time.

Anyway, yes we will be carrying on with the Format, and yes we would expect it to be successful as time progresses. I think last night was deemed to be very successful from the perspective of our two buyers.

Will I be putting more names up? Yes.

Will I be putting up as many names next time? Probably not, but then it rather depends on how many buyers actually register.

Will the names be of the same or higher standard? Haven't decided. I will make my own judgement calls nearer the time.

There are also a few issues surrounding how communicative the platform was. I must say it was as bad as Sedo, perhaps they use the same cheap script. We will have to get some feedback from Jose as to what can be done to improve matters. In the fullness of time of course we may go for a much more sophistacated solution but for now we will just have to try to move forward with what we have.

I am hoping that more people will become involved with our Lucky Dip Auction. This is aimed at the lower end of the market and initially at least is entirely free. Hopefully, those that experience involvment at this level will take more interest in our Elite Format.

So, not entirely good, but I still believe that what we are currently offering is still light years ahead of the competition. We did sell some IDN. We did have a Realtime Auction. We did not waste dozens of peoples time and I don't believe we insulted anyone's intelligence, and what was on offer was 100% transparent. So all in all still miles ahead of the pack.

[bwhhisc]

It was under supported. But I cannot say I am entirely surprised. It was also a very quiet night online. This forum was empty as well.

I think that most people are currently in the beginning stages, or middle of hefty renewal fees
and that is putting a damper on buying at the current time. JMO

That being said...I think some of the IDNs offered are bargains at these prices and will be worth many times more in the next few years.

[burnsinternet]

I was glad to see that domains were sold and that auctions of different formats will continue. It would be good to know what people want in future auctions. What languages? What industries/areas/topics?

It would be difficult for me, and others, I presume, to sell off the revenue earners this early. The usual call for old reg, high traffic, revenue producing domains will probably only suit the Elite Auction. I have been buying Japanese on the secondary market for months because that is the area I want to strengthen.

[Rubber Duck]

I think that most people are currently in the beginning stages, or middle of hefty renewal fees and that is putting a damper on buying at the current time. JMO

Well that can only be true of those that have entered the game more than 12 months ago, which is probably less than half of those that have signed up.

The big problem as I see it is that people at the moment prefer to new reg thing like dot WS and even dot BZ or dot NU rather than investing in something of value.
I only have four extensions dot JP, dot CN, dot net and dot Com. Dot JP, I have a couple of dozen and dot CN just a handful.

What amuses me is how people simply readjust their predictions of market direction largely based on what they have in the their portfolios.

I think you are right there is a renewals overhang, but I think there is also a much bigger crappy extension overhang. I think the renewal over-hang is about finished now because the market definitely cooled about this time last year. The crappy extensions overhang will be with us for a while, but I don't think it will have a lasting effect on dot com pricing. You are going to see people pumping dot WS for the next 9 months or so. Yes, it clogs up the sales threads here but it has no real impact on market dynamics. Most of the serious buyers will not be in the slightest bit interested in getting these in the aftermarket.

[burnsinternet]

WS? BIZ? NU? Huh? We been a reggin' JP COM and NET down here in Hotlanta.

Have we been missin' somethin' that the yankees are hidin' from us po' folks in the deep south? I don't think we can reg them newfangled extensions in this part of the country, anyway. We 'uns happy with our ol' fashion dot JPs. We's ol' fashioned folks!

[mdw]

Well I can say I think you got it right Dave. The domains were about right for the venue; if more buyers got involved it would make sense to have some super premiums at higher prices too. The auction was right and the market just needs to catch up to it.

I for one am still in the midst of a crushing renewal cycle, too stubborn to drop domains to make my life easier. There may be plenty of others in the same part of the cycle, as was suggested. I was regging dozens per week this time last year and continued the same pace well into late summer. So I'm less able to bid on good domains than I would be at a different time of year.

[Rubber Duck]

Thanks for your reassurance.

I think we are close to seeing the light. Those that let good domains drop lightly will regret it. Most of the successful ASCII players were in the game a long time before they managed to cash in big time.

[markits]

The big problem as I see it is that people at the moment prefer to new reg thing like dot WS and even dot BZ or dot NU rather than investing in something of value.
I only have four extensions dot JP, dot CN, dot net and dot Com. Dot JP, I have a couple of dozen and dot CN just a handful.

I am very suprised that many here choose to invest their money on ws nu biz etc rather than on some true gems offered for sale at a bargain prices. To me ws nu biz etc are wasting money.

To take the IDN opportunity, one only need to own few premium domains such as 呼和浩特.com. Reg and hold dozens even hundreds of ws nu and biz domains means paying hundreds even thousands of dollars reg fee every year and with such money one can easily pick up some premium domains in the current market.

[bwhhisc]

I am very suprised that many here choose to invest their money on ws nu biz etc rather than on some true gems offered for sale at a bargain prices. To me ws nu biz etc are wasting money. .

Not necessarily a bad ROI for someone who only has a few hundred dollars to invest in domains. Flipping .biz keywords if you are able at $20 to $30 a pop is a 300% plus return on your investment for a couple of weeks or months time.

I agree they will never have the HUGE potential future return that you would get with 呼和浩特.com or the like, but for some buying .biz may be a way to get sarted and flip you way up to being able to get a few premiums.

[domainstosell]

I'm pleased with my .biz regs.

I got some great geographics in 東京都.biz, 京都府.biz, and 日本国.biz; and solid business-related names in 価格.biz and 日経.biz. These were, in my opinion, easily worth regging, and are worth developing or holding onto long-term (unless a nice offer comes along).

I agree, not all .biz make sense, but we're talking in broad generalizations, and I think that you have to look at the name...

[markits]

I'm pleased with my .biz regs.

I got some great geographics in 東京都.biz, 京都府.biz, and 日本国.biz; and solid business-related names in 価格.biz and 日経.biz. These were, in my opinion, easily worth regging, and are worth developing or holding onto long-term (unless a nice offer comes along).

I agree, not all .biz make sense, but we're talking in broad generalizations, and I think that you have to look at the name...
I agree that these are good bizs. But remember, while premium ascii dot coms have been sold for up to 15 million per name, there are hardly any dot bizs being sold for $xx,xxx.

I am even not that excited at my 上海.biz and 株.biz (Shanghai.biz, stock.biz) etc.

[tee1]

.biz may have more of a chance than the other extensions such as .ws due many locals/natives regging them. Hopefully they will develop them and not park them, if so .biz may catch a niche or foothold in the market. It all seems to me to depend on the ability to monetize the domain name+extension, it seems right now development is the way go. It will be interesting to see what happens with those that develop their .biz sites to complement their .com and .jp sites.

You register 10 .biz names for 3 years your out alittle over $200, not to bad. I think it is just a way for some of us to diversify and/or dream.


tee1

[domainstosell]

I am even not that excited at my 上海.biz and 株.biz (Shanghai.biz, stock.biz) etc.

Well, I'll take those two off your hands for you - I'll pay full reg fee, so you recoup your losses... ;) :)

I hear what you're saying, but we still don't completely know where their place in the market may fall - they are still a bit of a wild card, and Japanese or Chinese end-users may love them...

And they may not sell for $xx,xxx; but I would take a four-figure payday on any one of those domains and be happy about it(unless I'm making more through a developed site, etc, of course).

[jacksonm]

I am even not that excited at my 上海.biz and 株.biz (Shanghai.biz, stock.biz) etc.

I'll give you $30 each for them.

.

[mulligan]

I registered about 20 .biz and $700 spread over 5 years is not such a big risk as I am reasonably confident I can turn a profit on them.

[markits]

I'll give you $30 each for them.

.

See, I can only get either reg fee or $30 offer on these premium bizs. Imagine how much 上海.com and 株.com would worth!

I made a $5k offer to buy 株.com a year ago, but the owner asked me to add two more zeros.

[touchring]

See, I can only get either reg fee or $30 offer on these premium bizs. Imagine how much 上海.com and 株.com would worth!

I made a $5k offer to buy 株.com a year ago, but the owner asked me to add two more zeros.


For ASCIIS, a .com might be worth 300 times of the .biz.

[jacksonm]

See, I can only get either reg fee or $30 offer on these premium bizs. Imagine how much 上海.com and 株.com would worth!

I made a $5k offer to buy 株.com a year ago, but the owner asked me to add two more zeros.


Well, you know that both of those offers were sarcastic responses to your saying that you're not that excited about them.

Honestly, if you want to flip them then just start an auction thread with no reserve and no bin. I bet you'd be surprised at the result.

.