domain Three .COM domains to appraise... - CarToSell.com

In what extension?

Domains - Wanted said:

In what extension?

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.COM

CarToSell was a great catch

The other two, not so much.

Domains - Wanted said:

CarToSell was a great catch

The other two, not so much.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your feedback.

Over the past several years, I've had offers on each of these three domain names. The lowest offer was $750 for CarDonationNYC, followed by the other two domains -- both with offers in the low $x,xxx -- but nothing recent, so I thought I would toss the appraisal question to this NamePros forum. Over the fifteen years I've been acquiring domain names, the one thing I know for sure is that opinions on domain values can be as varied as the number of people or entities asked to make an appraisal.

These domains really make the point with a suggested range in values from "[N]ot so much." on two of the domains (here in this forum), to Estibot appraising the same two domains at $1,700 and $10,000 respectively. See Estibot values below:


The hard truth is that NOBODY really knows the value of a domain name until it is bought and paid for. Domains are so often compared to real estate, but when it comes to appraisals, there is no consistency in arriving at a consensus of value because what one party will pay for a domain name can and does often fluctuate wildly based on factors that should make no difference at all! For example, domain auctions offer a significant advantage to the registrar in drop auctions where the registrant has lost control of the domain. I've seen domain buyers bid as much as twenty times more for a drop compared to the value of bids offered for the same, exact domain name marketed as an "Investor Sale."

Somewhere, there's a huge disconnect.

If you use this forum to try and feel better about yourself and your purchases when high anxiety and low cash flow combine to get the better of you, that's understandable. However, don't make the mistake of believing this forum will ever accurately reflect a dollar value that you can take to the bank. Of course, that proof is always in the pudding. More often than not, many of my domains that have previously been appraised as having little or no value by my industry peers have gone on to sell for some very respectable (and sometimes surprising) prices. The reverse is also true. Go figure!

So, if you're thinking, at the very least, appraisals you receive from fellow domainers offer a "ball park' indicator of value, don't kid yourself. The next time someone offers an opinion of end user value for your domain name, say, "I'll tell you what -- I'll sell you that domain name right now for 20% of the end user value you just quoted me." I can tell you, with near certainty, actual takers will suddenly be few and far between. And for all those investors that compare domain names to digital real estate, well, that's where all similarities end abruptly. With the exception of a very, very, small percentage of domain names with immediate liquidity (such as one, two, three and four character .com domains, select, single word .com dictionary domain names, and .com domains based on highly popular keywords and phrases) you are unlikely to find a lender who will make a loan using the equivalent of a "starter home" domain name as collateral. That speaks volumes about the domain name appraisal process. Paid domain appraisals are even worse. If you pay for an appraisal and the appraising party is unwilling to offer an immediate cash price it would pay for that domain on or near the date of the appraisal, what better indication would you need that you are throwing your money away?

Bottom Line: Free or Paid Domain Appraisals -- Caveat Emptor!

WordWalker said:

The lowest offer was $750 for CarDonationNYC, followed by the other two domains -- both with offers in the low $x,xxx

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You should have bitten their hand off, before they got recaptured.