Discover.Asia Reach US$112,111

[WhoNet]

Discover.Asia Reach US$112,111
as Hot-or-Not Contest Excitement Continues

Hong Kong (OPENPRESS) July 25, 2008 -- DotAsia Organisation announced today that auction for Discover.Asia closed at US$112,111 and now has a commanding lead over “sex.asia” on the Top 10 auctions list. The .Asia Sunrise and Landrush auction process is approaching its final stretch, while the .Asia Hot-or-Not Domains Appraisal Contest continues on http://www.think.asia. Grand Prize winner for US$10,000 will be crowned when auctions are expected to be completed later in August.

Battle among the Top 10 Auction continues with challenges coming from gifts.asia (US$36,000) and book.asia (US$32,005). Both entered the Top 10 list this week and have already climbed to 5th and 6th place respectively. The two domains have been exchanging positions back and forth and both auctions are still ongoing. Other names to watch out for include “diamond.asia” and “fant.asia” which are making tremendous strides. On the other hand, “gps.asia”, which broke into Top 10 last week has dropped out of contention.

As the .Asia Sunrise and Landrush auctions continue, “lasvegas.asia”, which went through the Landrush auctions in June sold for US$30,000 last week on the secondary market, breaking into the global Weekly Top 10 domain sales reported at DNJournal (http://www.dnjournal.com).

In response to the remarkable development, Edmon Chung, CEO of DotAsia Organisation commented, “While DotAsia continues to be vigilant over infringement and abusive domain registrations, a healthy secondary market for .Asia domains is beneficial for the adoption and growth of the .Asia domain overall. Some of our critics originally held that the Sunrise and Landrush process could stifle the development of a secondary market for .Asia. The sale disproves such theory and demonstrates the investment and growth value for .Asia domains.”

The combination of “Las Vegas” and “Asia”comes as no surprise to many after Macao, the “Las Vegas of Asia”, surpassed the Las Vegas strip to become the world’s biggest gambling center back in 2006. Reports also showed that Las Vegas have realized that 4 out of 5 of its high rollers come from Asia.

So it waits to be seen if discover.asia may be displaced at the top. With more exciting names entering the scene in the final weeks of the auctions, there are sure to be more surprises. For up to date information, the Hot-or-Not contest and the Top 10 Auction list, check out: http://www.think.asia.

About DotAsia Organisation:
DotAsia Organisation is the Sponsoring Organisation and Registry Operator for the .Asia Sponsored Generic Top Level Domain. DotAsia is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation incorporated in Hong Kong. Asia has developed into a global force in the international commercial, political and cultural network. The .Asia domain aspires to embrace this dynamism in the Asia Century to become a nucleus, intersection and breeding ground for Internet activity and development in the region. To learn more about DotAsia, please visit: http://www.registry.asia.

http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=35481

 

[domainer50]

:imho: the buyer got a great name. That could easily be converted into some sort of travel website, with big revenues. How does everyone else feel about the cost of the name?

 

[likepeas]

overpriced.

 

[tech4]

I thought they wrote the article on July 23, somehow they reedited the date. Just doesn't make sense.
I was hoping they would say something about # of registrations. like the dot me registrar.

I would be happier if something else now would topple discover.asia.

Its amazing that dnjournal would not even record these sale prices. I don't see why they wouldn't because its the fair market value that people are willing to pay for at a particular point in time.

 

[Spade]

overpriced.

Bingo. Terrrible investment.

 

[Seabass]

I would not pay $10 for that unless somehow it could be proven to be a money maker.

Nobody is going to use that domain. Could you imagine Discover.northamerica ?

People don't think like that. Nobody says "I want to go to North America, or I want to go to Asia". They think, "I want to go to New York or Hong Kong, etc......." It's more localized thinking - especially after surfers have been online a few years.

Total, stinking rubbish domain.

 

[tech4]

Seabass where do you live?

You're making a very funny comparision. The domain is discover Asia.
You have seen to be out of touch with reality.

The industry is tourism, Asia has the largest market. You're making a rediculous pricing assumption that anyone will give you "discover.asia" for $10.

The fact is, you're being funny.

 

[davnin]

Here we are :hehe:

The Top Ten

discover.asia - $112,111
sex.asia - $83,334
sexshop.asia - $53,607
models.asia - $41,009
gifts.asia - $38,003
book.asia - $34,005
business.asia - $29,000
diamond.asia - $27,000
promotion.asia - $26,000
vodka.asia - $25,000

 

[Spade]

Wouldnt Visit.Asia or Travel.Asia be substancially better?

 

[Seabass]

Seabass where do you live?

You're making a very funny comparision. The domain is discover Asia.
You have seen to be out of touch with reality.

The industry is tourism, Asia has the largest market. You're making a rediculous pricing assumption that anyone will give you "discover.asia" for $10.

The fact is, you're being funny.

Look... if being serious is funny then I guess I am on hell of a comedian. Also, where I live has no relation to .asia , but I have lived in 14 countries in my life.

You are absolutely right Asia has a huge potential for tourism, but not with .Asia - you can forget about that happening. Better go buy yourself a dotcom before you get schooled by the school of hard knocks.

I did not say someone would give it to me for $10. I said I would not pay $10. You can find better domains on TDNAM right this second for $10 - seriously.

I've literally bought thousands and thousands of domains and have made so many mistakes that I now understand this market very well and make very few mistakes anymore after 13 years of domaining. Nobody says "I want to go to Asia." They want to go to Hong Kong, China, Nepal, Kathmandu, etc... Go buy broad swath domains like .asia and see where you end up in 10 years - zilch, without tons of effort and investment.

Which is better, then? FloridaHotels,com or MiamiHotels,com. If you say the former you are wrong - period. Both are great domains, however, but the later wins hands-down.

Let me ask you this: Are YOU making any money with .asia ??? Your better off buying Korean domains since it is more localized. .asia means NOTHING to Koreans and therefore your only market is English-speaking folks, who know nothing about .asia ... also it is a four letter extension, which sucks compared .com

Discover.asia is a brand name at best, but don't count on anyone typing it in. :hehe:

 

[Hurley4540]

A very great sell for the ex-owner......

 

[tech4]

Seabass, according to you. "Don't count anyone typing it in." I think that's also a funny statement. The reason I asked where you live is because I was thinking, the farther away from Asia the more riskaverse you are etc.,

According to you Seabass, "find better domains on TDNAM right this second for $10" is another very funny statement. Please show me a better domain on TDNAM this second for $10.

Thanks.

 

[mwzd]

tech4, you have a nice lineup of .asia in your sig.

Do update us when you sell one for even four figures.

I think discover.asia is being sold by the registry? What aftermarket are they talking about?

 

[Hurley4540]

Wow, tech4 does have some very good dot asia's....like recipe, script, and more! Nice!

 

[DomainTalker]

Well, we'll see in time...

...tho I happen to think the real money in .asia domains will be aftermarket sales to western corporate endusers that are rushing to invest in various countries in Asia, and will need to brand themselves - fast - in the West, as doing so....The key to this strategy is first-class names, imo.....And, I doubt my real profits will come from other domainers.

...Tho, I understand not all domainers are comfortable with finding, and negotiating directly with - end user corporates.

I see it as a very descriptive supplementary to specific asian ccTLDs, not a replacement.


...Interestingly - and in support of this thought - I'm seeing a LOT of corporates bidding in the .asia Landrush auctions....including MGM_Mirage, Hugo Boss, Seaview, PCCW, and Phatprophets etc

.

 

[DN BROKER]

Bingo. Terrrible investment.

What a waste of money, that money could have purchased a .com!!!!!

 

[Seabass]

Seabass, according to you. "Don't count anyone typing it in." I think that's also a funny statement. The reason I asked where you live is because I was thinking, the farther away from Asia the more riskaverse you are etc.,

According to you Seabass, "find better domains on TDNAM right this second for $10" is another very funny statement. Please show me a better domain on TDNAM this second for $10.

Thanks.

If I was risk-averse I would not have put $30,000 on my credit card in 1995 to buy domains before there was a domain market.

You did not answer my question. Are you making any money off of type-ins?

Are you getting type-ins? I have spoken to others that have said there is virtually zilch. Donny at Parked.com said that .asia is totally bogus since there is NO traffic.

So, I am asking -- do you have ANY traffic on those .asia's ? I think you probably don't. If you do it is most likely speculators who won't click anyhow.

Have you even made $10 off all those .asia's ? Much less $5?

You may get lucky with some sucker sales, like Discover.asia ? But anyone worth their salt in domaining knows those domains are not desirable.

The look good to the eye but do nothing for the wallet - unless you make a sucker sale.

I call those types of domains "Fools Gold Domains". They look great ; have no resonance with anyone, except suckers.

I'm currently far from Asia, to answer your question, but I don't live under a rock if that is what you mean, and I speak several languages, am heavily invested in foreign domains, especially Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

I bought my first Spanish domains in 1995.

 

[tech4]

Seabass. For our dot Asia discussion so far,
1) You haven't prove that there's a better domain for $10 at TDNAM,

2) You made your point about making money now with the type in and nonexistence traffic, which does not make sense because its a relatively new extension and auctions are still in process. You can't seriously want me to compare dot com who has about 15 years in the making with Dot Asia's traffic in a month? 4 months since go live vs. 15 years of development?

3) I think your assumption about making money now is incorrect for the Dot Asia Investors. Many investors are looking for long term and higher ROI. Type in is not the only way to make money, but you classified it as a specific question to me on traffic/type in. To answer you, it doesn't matter what "parked.com" say I had others reasons to invest.

Seabass you made a lot of statements which does have a point, however its not convincing because I don't think people could understand your grain of salt if you did not explain why its "fools gold".

 

[Nile Patel]

I think discover.asia is good to pay this big amount.

Guys think about that when he made a big search engine like google with all small search engine on all of his subdomain with name of Asia Continent.

Means japan.discover.asia, china.discover.asia

I think he can beat google and yahoo after few years.

 

[hanny]

Wouldnt Visit.Asia or Travel.Asia be substancially better?

Agree Completely! I couldn't see that much for DiscoverAsia.com !