Are You a Slave to Your Domains?
Fellow domainers, let’s take a moment to reflect. Have you ever looked at your portfolio and felt an uneasy sense of obligation to certain domains? You know the ones I’m talking about:- That aged domain you’ve held for 10+ years because, "Surely, its time will come."
- The 4-letter .com that looks nice but hasn't received a single serious inquiry.
- The domain that GoDaddy’s appraisal tool says is worth $5,000, but nobody has even offered $50.
- The auction prize you fought hard (and overpaid) to win, only to have it sit quietly in your account, collecting dust.
- The domain that received one offer years ago, but has since sat idle with no further interest.
Sound familiar? If so, you may be falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy.
What Is the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
The sunk cost fallacy is when we continue to invest in something—money, time, effort—just because we’ve already invested so much in it, even though the future payoff doesn’t justify the ongoing expense.In the context of domain investing, it means you might keep renewing a domain not because of its realistic sale potential but because:
- You’ve owned it for years and “feel attached” to it.
- You paid a premium price for it at auction and want to “recover your investment.”
- Automated appraisals make it seem valuable on paper.
- It received one offer years ago, and you’re holding onto the hope that another will come.
Let’s be real: a domain that hasn’t sold in five, ten, or even fifteen years is like a Netflix subscription you keep paying for but never use to watch anything. It’s there, quietly charging you every year, while offering no real value. Multiply that by dozens (or hundreds) of domains, and suddenly you’re looking at thousands of dollars in renewals for names that have little chance of finding a buyer.
How to Free Yourself
Here’s a challenge for you: take a hard, honest look at your portfolio. Forget the past—how long you’ve owned a domain, how much you paid for it, or what an automated tool says it’s worth. Focus instead on the future:- Is there real demand for the domain?
- Has it received any legitimate offers or inquiries in the past few years?
- Does it align with current market trends?
Imagine the Freedom
Think about what it would feel like to trim your portfolio down to the names that truly matter. No more guilt when renewal season rolls around. No more wasted money on names that aren’t working for you. Just a lean, profitable portfolio that reflects your best investments.Don’t be a slave to your domains. Reevaluate your names, let go of the ones holding you back, and move forward with clarity and purpose. The freedom (and the saved money) is worth it.
And if you choose to renew but want to save money, read my post on:
How I Save 30% on Domain Renewals Every Year
Thanks for reading! Share your thoughts bellow.
William
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