Tonight's auction

[555]

Tonight's REAL domain auction:

http://marketplacepro.moniker.com/auction/events/181/results.html
I think it starts 5pm Eastern time.

[Drewbert]

Might be 2pm.

You need Microsoft Excel to watch it, I think.

[jose]

Now live.

[Neptune]

wow, poker.mobi for 150k

[burnsinternet]

See! All the big money will roll in when .mobi goes IDN.

Dot Mobi is the KEY!

[mulligan]

Well Im liking the look of my real estate domains even more.
massachusettsrealestate.com was passed at $100K :)

[IDNCowboy]

Well Im liking the look of my real estate domains even more.
massachusettsrealestate.com was passed at $100K :)
The seller is in lala land

[burnsinternet]

massachusettsrealestate.com? Are you sure that is a good IDN? I think it is open in a couple of minor languages....

Dang, I am a smarty pants today!

[thegenius1]

Well Im liking the look of my real estate domains even more.
massachusettsrealestate.com was passed at $100K :)


Their Gold Man :) !

3.5k for South Padre Island Real Estate.com , geez thats a long one

StMaarateenREalEstate.com Passed @ 15k

[burnsinternet]

Good to know that I am not the only one watching this in awe. We have a saying for this: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

WTF, mate?

Take a good look. This may be the last time you see ascii domains like this sell for these prices until IDNs stabilize. 2008 may be the year of the IDN.

:cool:

[thegenius1]

UnitesStatesImagrationandNaturalization .com LMAO

[Rubber Duck]

UnitesStatesImagrationandNaturalization .com LMAO

When it comes to picking domain names Rick sure is out in front.

I wouldn't have thought of that in a million years!

[555]

Can anyone confirm what happned with StockQuotes.com ? Did it really PASS @ 1mm?

Good auction.

[thegenius1]

Can anyone confirm what happned with StockQuotes.com ? Did it really PASS @ 1mm?

Good auction.

Sorry i missed it , i was to bizzy laughing at this UnitesStatesImagrationandNaturalization .com

[burnsinternet]

Can anyone confirm what happned with StockQuotes.com ? Did it really PASS @ 1mm?

Good auction.

I guess I missed my chance to auction:

котировка.com (quote)
котировкиакций.com (stock quotes)

[zenmarketing]

Yes, StockQuotes had one bid at $1MM and did not meet the reserve.

[burnsinternet]

Hmmm... No dot TV, WS, or CC. Forget UK, JP, CN, CA, or other....

Extensions so far? Com, net, org, info, us, mobi....

Does chinesecheckers.com for 6.5k count as an IDN? That is the closest I have seen....

[555]

Yes, StockQuotes had one bid at $1MM and did not meet the reserve.

Thanks zenmarketing,
good news for StockPrice.com. Maybe.

[burnsinternet]

Crow dot com $48,300

You can't sell too many crows these days. Hot market.

[domainguru]

Good to know that I am not the only one watching this in awe. We have a saying for this: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

WTF, mate?

Take a good look. This may be the last time you see ascii domains like this sell for these prices until IDNs stabilize. 2008 may be the year of the IDN.

:cool:

Generic ASCII type-in domains will continue to increase in value. The market is nowhere near mature or efficient. In 5 years time, when "end users" realize the benefits of owning generic type-ins and become regular buyers, current prices will look very cheap indeed.

Thankfully, the same argument exists for generic IDNs, but given lack of type-in culture in much of Asia, the timeframe won't be the same. Will probably need a new generation of Internet users that have "grown up" with IDNs before type-in levels start to match those of ASCII domains.

[Rubber Duck]

I think you are correct as far as Single Word Generics are concerned. They could easily go to a Billion dollars each. Moniker, however, running out of feedstock and sellers expectations are running ahead of the market.

On Dot Mobi, I think prices are running ahead of fundamentals, and I really don't think buyers have got the message that new mobile browser will deliver dot Com to the small screen.

It seems as though the money at the top end is drying up a bit, but there is still plenty of enthusiasm amongst those that can only afford second and even third tier stuff. The problem is there must be many different ways of achieving the same thing.

It struck me last night those names running into 20-30 characters would translate as 6-8 characters in Chinese. The Chinese will have much more resonance with domains in that long tail.

[burnsinternet]

DG - I respect your opinion. However, I believe that IDN will dilute the ascii sales prices for a time. You saw .mobi keyword domains sell for high prices.

What happens when top keywords in multiple languages and extensions enter the marketplace? Suddenly, there will be multiple 'news' 'table' 'poker' 'ringtone' 'dating' keywords in multiple extensions for sale.

Just as .mobi entered the list, IDN will flood the list. Ascii domains will, by elimination, be forced down that list. Once prices stabilize and portfolio 'positioning' is stable, ascii prices will rise (along with IDN). Language-specific prices will ebb and flow - IDN and ASCII alike.

That is just my opinion. Maybe just a dream, but I like it!

[Rubber Duck]

Only if American buyers join the fray in large numbers.

If our markets turn out primarily to be local, the domain name markets will co-exist just as the online content does, with little or no overlap.

It all depends whether there are many left in ASCII land that can spot an opportunity when they see it.

DG - I respect your opinion. However, I believe that IDN will dilute the ascii sales prices for a time. You saw .mobi keyword domains sell for high prices.

What happens when top keywords in multiple languages and extensions enter the marketplace? Suddenly, there will be multiple 'news' 'table' 'poker' 'ringtone' 'dating' keywords in multiple extensions for sale.

Just as .mobi entered the list, IDN will flood the list. Ascii domains will, by elimination, be forced down that list. Once prices stabilize and portfolio 'positioning' is stable, ascii prices will rise (along with IDN). Language-specific prices will ebb and flow - IDN and ASCII alike.

That is just my opinion. Maybe just a dream, but I like it!

[burnsinternet]

Only if American buyers join the fray in large numbers.

If our markets turn out primarily to be local, the domain name markets will co-exist just as the online content does, with little or no overlap.

It all depends whether there are many left in ASCII land that can spot an opportunity when they see it.


Hmmm... Not sure how to respond to that. Your argument assumes that the ascii market is propped up by Americans, does it not? And that IDNs will only be bought by non-Americans in local markets.

1. Domainers are Chinese, Indian, French, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Arab, etc. They buy ASCII, too.

2. Americans already buy IDNs. More will buy IDNs when they smell a profit.

[domainguru]

Hmmm... Not sure how to respond to that. Your argument assumes that the ascii market is propped up by Americans, does it not? And that IDNs will only be bought by non-Americans in local markets.

1. Domainers are Chinese, Indian, French, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Arab, etc. They buy ASCII, too.

2. Americans already buy IDNs. More will buy IDNs when they smell a profit.

The ASCII market is largely US, because for an "average" generic type-in domain, such as "computerparts.com" or whatever, more than half of the type-ins will come from the States.

IDNs will create new type-in markets, and (with plenty of exceptions), the overlap will be relatively minor, and certainly not enough to put a brake on ASCII prices, which will be governed by more fundamental forces.

Also, we are running two parallel discussions here - one is about where value is created (location and quantity of type-ins) and the other is about who is prepared to take advantage of that value.

[jacksonm]

Yes, StockQuotes had one bid at $1MM and did not meet the reserve.


I would gladly sell them my StockQuotes.hk for 50k EUR.

.

[burnsinternet]

The ASCII market is largely US, because for an "average" generic type-in domain, such as "computerparts.com" or whatever, more than half of the type-ins will come from the States.

IDNs will create new type-in markets, and (with plenty of exceptions), the overlap will be relatively minor, and certainly not enough to put a brake on ASCII prices, which will be governed by more fundamental forces.

Also, we are running two parallel discussions here - one is about where value is created (location and quantity of type-ins) and the other is about who is prepared to take advantage of that value.

I see your point. I am addressing only the latter. I believe that the overlap will be significant.

I base my belief on what I see and believe. I have no data to back it up. It would be interesting to see where the money comes from. American domainers will certainly pour money into IDNs. I believe that will pull money away from ascii domain sales.

It is all about the 'potential' for profit. Can you honestly look at that list and tell me that those .mobi domains are worth what was paid?

[domainguru]

I see your point. I am addressing only the latter. I believe that the overlap will be significant.

I base my belief on what I see and believe. I have no data to back it up. It would be interesting to see where the money comes from. American domainers will certainly pour money into IDNs. I believe that will pull money away from ascii domain sales.

It is all about the 'potential' for profit. Can you honestly look at that list and tell me that those .mobi domains are worth what was paid?

.mobi isn't my bag - I'll leave others to discuss value there.

In the short to medium term, I do agree with you to some extent. Some investors may switch funds from ASCII to IDN. However:

1) Many of the big domain investors have money to burn, and if they don't have the cash in the bank, they will find it. Capital isn't a problem for these guys.

2) More fundamentally, what I believe is that the basic value proposition in domain names, and what has made people unbelievably rich, is their potential to generate natural type-ins. As we all know, most type-ins are currently from native English language speakers in the US, Canada, UK, Australia. So I see an eventual huge expansion in global type-ins. This can only add to the value of the "global domain pool" and make significantly more domainers wealthy. So in turn, they have more to spend on domains, whether ASCII or IDN.

So long term, prices of all domains will increase significantly. Domainers will have more funds available, and end users will realize the benefits of "owning a term" and start stepping up to the mark.

[Rubber Duck]

Cross-over exists and will continue to do so, but I am not sure there is potential for huge growth. Clearly what we have at the moment is not highly significant. Most of them don't get it, which only goes to underline what bloody awful domainers they are in the first place. There are fundamental principles that underpin the concept of IDN that equally valid and transferable into the ASCII market. By and large they just "Don't get it", which is why they end up with shit like Widgets.com. How many of you have invested in the Chinese, Russia, Arabic equivalents of Widgets?

For ASCII domainers the problem is that their growth forecast are all based on the next Billion Internet users adding directly to their earnings. That is definitely something they have completely wrong. they will be luck to see 5% of that growth.

[Edwin]

I'd LOVE to own Widgets.com (ASCII) - I bet it gets thousands of uniques a day given how many browser tools are coming out called "widgets". It beats the trousers off of 99.9% of IDNs in the current market.

Not to acknowledge that is as shortsighted as those who say that IDN will never amount to anything, it's just shortsightedness from a different angle.

At the top end, ASCII has value propped up by very solid fundamentals - and that value seems to be increasing week by week, month by month, year by year.

IDN have value propped up by a compelling mix of logic, a small amount of "hard" data and a lot of expectations. At the same time, it is possible to put together a coherent argument that says "right now, IDNs aren't worth much". That says nothing about the future, only about the NOW.

To turn your back on the reality of the ASCII domain market (and the hundreds - probably thousands - of millionaires it has and is creating) is incredibly blinkered thinking.

Some of you (especially, but not exclusively, Rubber Duck) need to take VERY deep breaths and acknowledge the success of TRAFFIC and people like Rick, Frank Schilling and many, many others (there's a very long list of names we could run through) in the ASCII market and in the quest to educate the "wider world" about the value of domain names. The fact that they may not "get" IDN domains takes absolutely NOTHING away from that success and from those efforts. It just means that they may - repeat: may - miss that particular domain boat. But since they're already occupying domain mega-yachts, they won't lose any sleep over it!

I can tell you now that those folks and many more have indirectly put more money into my pocket than 99.9% of IDNers.

IDNs will succeed because they are a valid idea whose time is coming (or not - let the future tell us when it arrives). They're not going to succeed because of the "rabid advocacy" of a few forum posters with an axe to grind against the Ricks of this world...

[Rubber Duck]

Rick has spread more disinformation over IDN than you could shake a stick at. He has done it for his own narrow greedy little purposes. Yes, we do have an axe to grind.

So did you manage to get Widgets in Japanese?

[mulligan]

Widget is owned by a Japanese person .. .biz is free though :)

[bwhhisc]

The fact that they may not "get" IDN domains takes absolutely NOTHING away from that success and from those efforts. It just means that they may - repeat: may - miss that particular domain boat. But since they're already occupying domain mega-yachts, they won't lose any sleep over it!

I think most of them get it, but are just not much interested in this market niche. Probably not as much fun
to look at a portfolio and not be able to decipher a damn word. As Rick said "I'm not sure I really care".

Most of these big players can buy idns when they are good and ready on the aftermarket when earnings ratios
get going and the domains start generating known revenues and ppc.

[Edwin]

Rick has spread more disinformation over IDN than you could shake a stick at. He has done it for his own narrow greedy little purposes. Yes, we do have an axe to grind.

He's not bothered enough by the whole issue to behave in the malicious way you attribute to him. Really. After all, why would he be, with the most successful domain conference series under his belt, millions in the bank and thousands of top-class ASCII .com generics in his portfolio? He's not an idiot, no matter how you'd love to portray him.

YOU have an axe to grind, and boy don't we know it! By grinding that axe noisily and relentlessly in public, you're slowly - drip, drip, drip - giving IDNers a bad name in the wider domaining community.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you don't speak for me, and I would be ASTOUNDED if you speak for more than a very slim minority of IDNers. But your campaign of vitriol hurts ALL of us. Why not just stop, and wait for the millions to come rolling in when IDNs go mainstream in a few years time?

[Rubber Duck]

The assumption that you can just walk in at any time might be totally false.

Once we get to position of the average for our portfolio earning about $20 per annum which is not a terribly ambitious target by any stretch of the imagination, I think will just lock down and check out. A lot of other IDNers are going to be in similar position and will take a similar approach. Have you seen TDC trying to sell anything yet?

Do I wish to spend my life going to conferences like TRAFFICS? Well, at the moment I have just about had it with following the comments of a lot of knob-head domainers. The short answer is that I shall probably be looking to condense my social and business circles not expand them. Selling the portfolio is not the end game. The end game is secure our market position. Selling is about massaging cash-flow until type-in does the rest. The trends suggest that is not going to be long coming. It is just very frustrating listening to World talking bollocks whilst all our plans are still on ice.

He's not bothered enough by the whole issue to behave in the malicious way you attribute to him. Really. After all, why would he be, with the most successful domain conference series under his belt, millions in the bank and thousands of top-class ASCII .com generics in his portfolio? He's not an idiot, no matter how you'd love to portray him.

YOU have an axe to grind, and boy don't we know it! By grinding that axe noisily and relentlessly in public, you're slowly - drip, drip, drip - giving IDNers a bad name in the wider domaining community.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you don't speak for me, and I would be ASTOUNDED if you speak for more than a very slim minority of IDNers. But your campaign of vitriol hurts ALL of us. Why not just stop, and wait for the millions to come rolling in when IDNs go mainstream in a few years time?

From what I have seen of his portfolio, thousand of top class ASCII is a bit of a stretch of the imagination.

[domainguru]

The assumption that you can just walk in at any time might be totally false.

Once we get to position of the average for our portfolio earning about $20 per annum which is not a terribly ambitious target by any stretch of the imagination, I think will just lock down and check out. A lot of other IDNers are going to be in similar position and will take a similar approach. Have you seen TDC trying to sell anything yet?

Do I wish to spend my life going to conferences like TRAFFICS? Well, at the moment I have just about had it with following the comments of a lot of knob-head domainers. The short answer is that I shall probably be looking to condense my social and business circles not expand them. Selling the portfolio is not the end game. The end game is secure our market position. Selling is about massaging cash-flow until type-in does the rest. The trends suggest that is not going to be long coming. It is just very frustrating listening to World talking bollocks whilst all our plans are still on ice.



From what I have seen of his portfolio, thousand of top class ASCII is a bit of a stretch of the imagination.

RD, we are pioneers, and since the beginning of humanity, pioneers have always been ridiculed / misunderstood by the masses. Consider it a compliment and know that over time, IDNs will merge into the mainstream and we will all be smoking big fat cigars.

[Rubber Duck]

Stress levels back to normal. Victorious on the squash court 5 games to 1.

I am frankly not that bothered. I am confident that either Russian or Japanese will provide enough income to carry the rest very soon. We need to earning about an average of $2.00 per name per month, before I can consider stopping the daily commute for good and moving to Czech Republic. Until then I am likely to be very moody. I would, however, not expect it to be too long before a single name is covering all our renewals and we can just piss the rest up against the wall.

If you want to know how this is going to pan out you need to look at ASCII.

Basically a few key players snaffled the lot and sold very little. Just take a look at Frank. How many domains did he ever sell?

The bottom line is that players new to game have an opportunity before the traffic kicks in to obtain a few good names at reason prices. They either take the opportunity or they don't. All it does is spin the thing out a bit. You can see the ASCIIers holding out for more around the million dollar mark. Trust me even at that level most IDNers will be holding out for more.

What we are actually seeing is most late comers filling their boots with new registration which vary from mediocre to crap and then expecting to flip them for a profit in a very quiet market. Somebody here is lacking a lot of imagination.