There are few large difference between 2008-2009 and now (2015):
- all LLLL.com were regged on November 2, 2007. Financial crisis, caused by subprime lending, which started in summer 2007, developed into world crisis in 2008, causing Lehman Brothers to go into bancruptcy on September 15, 2008. The result was the worst financial crisis since Great Depression in 1930ies. Even during the crisis, all LLLL.com remained registered, there were no LLLL.com for handreg (probably except for max. 3 days at one point of time, when several thousands LLLL.com dropped at once). All LLLL.com dropping were immediatly dropcatched.
- currently stock markets, real estate prices in the USA are doing well. NY real estate prices already exceed previous (pre-2008 cirisis) peek prices. Chineese economy is much stronger now than in 2008 (even after recent shares decline). China has now larger middle class than the US (see yesterday's article, quoted several times on NP).
- in 2007 people were used to have LLLL.com handregged. In 2015, people used that LLLL.com can not be handregged since 8 years.
- in 2008-2009, new GTLD concept promoted by ICANN was weighting on the .com prices - people were afraid .com will lose its appeal. Now, after launch of numerous gtld, we see that the concerns were overdone, and the .com shines as a king further. I.e. .com will remain the one and only top domain zone. And we know what happens to top zones in real estate (i.e. Manhattan) - they skyrocket. The same for .com - LL.com, LLL.com, LLLL.com are experiencing rise on a huge demand for the one and only limited supply memorable short domains in .com.
- Special comment on CHIPs: in my understanding, the chinese abbreviations in LLLL.com often consist of 2 words, not of 4 words as in western world, probably this makes CHIPs more desirable that normal western LLLL.com
Disclaimer:
All above is imho. When making your domain investments, you need to make your own research and not to rely on other opinions or previous trends.