Hi! This is my first post at NamePros.com.
Glad to find this forum. I'm a "spare time" website developer with about 100 names, occasionally buying and selling in the aftermarket--but not an aftermarket specialist. When I last looked, there was mainly DNF. Nice people, good advice--but they just couldn't seem to understand why it made no sense for me to pay a high annual membership fee for full service. Also, I really felt that this limited the listing potential for both buyers and sellers. Then there was a free domaining forum--can't remember the name just now--also nice people, but very limited membership. Then Afternic started a forum. So a few months ago, just for the heck of it, I posted a thread about how overpriced the Afternic system and fees were, although relatively speaking, there weren't any much better options....well that's when somebody told me about NamePros.com.
...Well, I am so glad to find a free domaining forum with a very substantial membership! Well, I'm new so I can't say much yet except:
--I will give NamePros.com a serious try and am hopeful it will be helpful.
--How refreshing to find a domaining forum that actually has a resepectable .com URL address! I.e., actually seems to be operated by someone who knows something about domains. (Good grief I could find a better "unused" domain than DNF any time. And that other one wasn't any better. Heck that's probably why I can't even remember it any more...)
Anyway, here is my question:
Although I am "serious," I am not yet making substantial income from the internet, and I easily find plenty of "workable" unused domains. So, I just can not afford to pay over $500 for a domain name. Even then, it is only something that I really want. And only recently did I realize that plenty of people have "decent" domain names that they are happy to unload for under $500.
I tried sending emails myself. Usually got no reply.
So, I tried the Afternic "domain broker" service several times. Every time, I was able to get the name I wanted for under $500. No big suprise--these were not worth more than that--just halfway-decent 2-word .com names for my "secondary" sites.
The Afternic service is $65. Sedo.com and GoDaddy.com are almost exactly the same price. And Afternic is certainly "overrated"--but it is by far the best known--so it seems to me, there is a much better chance that a seller will "take notice" to receive an email from Afternic with (I think) a free membership offer. Also, if he does not wish to accept or haggle outright, he can "conditionally" accept my offer if he recieves no better offer by being listed on an Afternic home page as a "reserve met" offer.
But, now I want to take a stab for about 4-6 domains that are either worth too little or worth too much to justify paying a nonrefundable $65 for the broker. (I.e., it's not likely the owneres of the better domains will accept my offer...and if the owners of the non-valuable domains make me waste $65 I will be even more miffed...) Also these are all secondary domains for me--I don't really need them, just would like to have them if I can get them for a good price. Hopefully, some for as little as $200 (which is all they are worth). But one or two others are worth at least $1,000 and I am just taking a stab, just in case the owner is willing to unload it for $500. (AND/OR TRADE IT FOR ONE OR MORE OF MY DOMAINS, SOME OF WHICH ARE EQUALLY VALUABLE.)
Should I keep going with Afternic? Or does anyone have a better suggestion?
After searching here for titles including "broker" I have found the following to be the most relevant threads:
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/293349-sedo-brokers.html
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/282156-domain-brokers.html?highlight=broker
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/260320-sedo-confusion.html?highlight=broker
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name...t-domain-broker-service.html?highlight=broker
...However, based on scanning these threads quickly, the only alternative suggestion seems to be to find a "hopefully" reputable individual in this forum...? Who "hopefully" will not work against me and actually raise the prices? Afternic is after all, certainly impartial in its methods, whereas a personal "broker" might even be tempted to say hmmmm.... I like these domains myself and I know another buyer....
On the other hand, the value of an experienced "personal individual" broker might be:
a) The ability to focus on TRADING domains and thus keep my cash costs low...?
b) The possible willingness to accept a partially COMMISSIONED offer so I do not end up paying several hundred dollars and getting nothing...? I.e., maybe I can pay $25 per domain plus $75 more IF I buy the domain...?
c) (P.S.) Hmmm... or instead of $75, maybe an individual broker might be happy to accept a free choice of one of my domain names? (Trading a name for his services.)
Any suggestions welcome.
Ciao, howdy ya'll, g'day, and all that...
Glad to find this forum. I'm a "spare time" website developer with about 100 names, occasionally buying and selling in the aftermarket--but not an aftermarket specialist. When I last looked, there was mainly DNF. Nice people, good advice--but they just couldn't seem to understand why it made no sense for me to pay a high annual membership fee for full service. Also, I really felt that this limited the listing potential for both buyers and sellers. Then there was a free domaining forum--can't remember the name just now--also nice people, but very limited membership. Then Afternic started a forum. So a few months ago, just for the heck of it, I posted a thread about how overpriced the Afternic system and fees were, although relatively speaking, there weren't any much better options....well that's when somebody told me about NamePros.com.
...Well, I am so glad to find a free domaining forum with a very substantial membership! Well, I'm new so I can't say much yet except:
--I will give NamePros.com a serious try and am hopeful it will be helpful.
--How refreshing to find a domaining forum that actually has a resepectable .com URL address! I.e., actually seems to be operated by someone who knows something about domains. (Good grief I could find a better "unused" domain than DNF any time. And that other one wasn't any better. Heck that's probably why I can't even remember it any more...)
Anyway, here is my question:
Although I am "serious," I am not yet making substantial income from the internet, and I easily find plenty of "workable" unused domains. So, I just can not afford to pay over $500 for a domain name. Even then, it is only something that I really want. And only recently did I realize that plenty of people have "decent" domain names that they are happy to unload for under $500.
I tried sending emails myself. Usually got no reply.
So, I tried the Afternic "domain broker" service several times. Every time, I was able to get the name I wanted for under $500. No big suprise--these were not worth more than that--just halfway-decent 2-word .com names for my "secondary" sites.
The Afternic service is $65. Sedo.com and GoDaddy.com are almost exactly the same price. And Afternic is certainly "overrated"--but it is by far the best known--so it seems to me, there is a much better chance that a seller will "take notice" to receive an email from Afternic with (I think) a free membership offer. Also, if he does not wish to accept or haggle outright, he can "conditionally" accept my offer if he recieves no better offer by being listed on an Afternic home page as a "reserve met" offer.
But, now I want to take a stab for about 4-6 domains that are either worth too little or worth too much to justify paying a nonrefundable $65 for the broker. (I.e., it's not likely the owneres of the better domains will accept my offer...and if the owners of the non-valuable domains make me waste $65 I will be even more miffed...) Also these are all secondary domains for me--I don't really need them, just would like to have them if I can get them for a good price. Hopefully, some for as little as $200 (which is all they are worth). But one or two others are worth at least $1,000 and I am just taking a stab, just in case the owner is willing to unload it for $500. (AND/OR TRADE IT FOR ONE OR MORE OF MY DOMAINS, SOME OF WHICH ARE EQUALLY VALUABLE.)
Should I keep going with Afternic? Or does anyone have a better suggestion?
After searching here for titles including "broker" I have found the following to be the most relevant threads:
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/293349-sedo-brokers.html
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/282156-domain-brokers.html?highlight=broker
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/260320-sedo-confusion.html?highlight=broker
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name...t-domain-broker-service.html?highlight=broker
...However, based on scanning these threads quickly, the only alternative suggestion seems to be to find a "hopefully" reputable individual in this forum...? Who "hopefully" will not work against me and actually raise the prices? Afternic is after all, certainly impartial in its methods, whereas a personal "broker" might even be tempted to say hmmmm.... I like these domains myself and I know another buyer....
On the other hand, the value of an experienced "personal individual" broker might be:
a) The ability to focus on TRADING domains and thus keep my cash costs low...?
b) The possible willingness to accept a partially COMMISSIONED offer so I do not end up paying several hundred dollars and getting nothing...? I.e., maybe I can pay $25 per domain plus $75 more IF I buy the domain...?
c) (P.S.) Hmmm... or instead of $75, maybe an individual broker might be happy to accept a free choice of one of my domain names? (Trading a name for his services.)
Any suggestions welcome.
Ciao, howdy ya'll, g'day, and all that...
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