debate Domain age is myth

[Isac]

I sold many Handreg and new domains to end users but till now i am not able to sell a single aged domain to enduser in my portfolio.
.
Enduser all about cares about name. What u say ?

 

[namelancer]

I never said every old domain is valuable.

No one is disputing the axiomatic truth of a greater probability of generally finding higher value in domains available for hand registration years ago.

 

[Acroplex]

"Domain age is a myth" definitely resonates as an anti-axiom.

 

[namelancer]

And your domain example is also extreme. I don't believe there is a "nnbvcxcvbnmnnxc" sample that'd survive the drop.

I only used the parameters established by the conditions of your assertions that my example was based on.

 

[Acroplex]

Hypotheses can be as wide as a piece of string. IE, no true standards. If you need a "cxcxcxcxvxvxvx" random string to define an argument, it's an extremity. Of course, in that case, the domain would be useless based on age alone. IMO, such a fine piece of junk would not survive the practical definition of an aged domain, e.g. 10 years or older. It would have dropped a long time ago.

 

[namelancer]

As long as the domains twenty years ago were picked with the same skill as what might be picked today, it would be quite hard to say that the new domains would be anywhere near as good as the twenty year old domains.

There is a difference in criteria applied to domains in the past vs domains of today. The former were picked exclusively based on their quality (with age being irrelevant), while the latter are judged partially by age as a guiding proxy for quality.

 

[Acroplex]

Very true. Because quality is based largely on parameters that are being depleted: brevity, word meaning etc. Since we can't go back to 1995, that's all we have now.

 

[namelancer]

If the question is, does domain age add value? Then maybe we can have a more constructive conversation.

Do you acknowledge 4L.com's regged in 1996 are generally worth more and/or of better quality than what you will find with a 2006 registration date?

Counter-question: Would you acknowledge that 4L. dot coms registered in 1996 were WITHOUT a factor of age (0 to be precise), being fresh and new at the time of registration ?

.... Maybe you'd want Coin.com? Sorry, regged in 1994. How about Cool.com? Sorry, regged in 1995. You could register Blue.com though! What do you think was left in 2006? If anyone would find value in it: I can parse a list of what I think is the top 4L domains regged on a per year base to show how (generally) quality decreased as time went on.

Were the domains listed above selected primarily with QUALITY as the single metric in mind used to assess the value ? Was age a part of that metric ?

But if you take a random bulk sample of domains regged in 1994 vs a random 2014 same, surely most, if not all will be able to tell the difference in value.

What is the most striking differentiator that separates the legendary domains that made the charts of being the best domains of all times (so far) from the majority of domains available for registration today ? As it's been repeated on numerous occasions, it's THEIR OUTSTANDING QUALITY seen in the statutory examples of names like Coin, Cool or Blue. And since age at the time of their registration can be disregarded and QUALITY remains their primary selection criteria, how can there be claims made that AGE would somehow add to their value, if it didn't add or meaning anything at all way back when they were created ?

 

[Acroplex]

For several years into the commercial registration of domain names, many great names remained unregistered. Once certain parameters changed, the bulk of these domains was snatched. What were these parameters? "Small details," such as having an alternative domain registrar with lower prices, being able to register domains automatically vs. with a manual process, being able to transfer domains without a manual process, etc. All of a sudden, quality became synonymous with availability. There was a massive drop cycle during the end of the dot com bubble, lasted about 2-3 years. That's when many of today's valuable domains were registered. And then the drop/auction houses for expired domains contributed to a 3rd cycle of aged domain availability.

 

[Lox]

how can there be claims made that AGE would somehow add to their value

Take me out to the calculator; 20 years back, mid quality name.

Year 1: $70
Year 2: $70
Year 3: $70
etc
Year 6: $50
etc

starting bid: min $1300

 

[namelancer]

Take me out to the calculator; 20 years back, mid quality name.

Year 1: $70
Year 2: $70
Year 3: $70
etc
Year 6: $50
etc

starting bid: min $1300

What you describe is seen as cost or liability as is with some of the premium domains extensions.

 

[Lox]

An investment is an asset. If you f.e. borrowed money to purchase the asset that is a liability. etc

 

[namelancer]

starting bid: min $1300

Just because this is how much the domain has costed you in maintenance over the years doesn't mean a buyer would be prepared to cover a seller's costs.

 

[Lox]

I don't need that kind of buyer.

 

[namelancer]

The feelings might be reciprocal

 

[E-Promote]

Enduser all about cares about name.

That is the bottom line and most important, don't loose your focus trying to make an irrelevant point

 

[namelancer]

Take me out to the calculator; 20 years back, mid quality name.

Year 1: $70
Year 2: $70
Year 3: $70
etc
Year 6: $50
etc

starting bid: min $1300

Scenario1:

1.The above domain is put for sale with the price tag of 5,000 usd.
2. A bid is received for 3,700 usd (listed price minus registration fees for 20 years)
.
3. The bid is accepted, transaction resolves to a completed sale.

Question: What has just happened here ? Has the price reduction taken place at the expense of registration fees spanning the long twenty years (seeing a domain go from a boisterous toddler, to mischievous teenager, to a young person in full bloom) or through sacrifice of values above and beyond it ?

 

[Amar D]

Personally, I sell better aged domains than new ones. Even the ugly old ones with hypens.

Also I would create brand for my self on 10+ aged domain than on a 1 months old one.

 

[namelancer]

@Loxline

Scenario2:

1.The aforementioned domain is offered for sale at 5, 000 usd (1,300 usd of which corresponds to registration fees over 20 years).

2.The offer is received for the amount of 3, 700 usd by the buyer who opposes the idea of accepting an obligation to honor the registration fees for the past 20 years believing them to be merely the costs of investment on the part of the seller rather than reflecting the true values.

3. Out of principle the seller would never allow for disavowing of the registration fees, however they are amenable to accept reasonable reduction in price related to other (non base fee related), value-constituting metrics.

4. Believing a compromise has been achieved without the principals having to forsake the cardinal values held dear, a deal was settled at the level of the original offered price (3, 700 usd), and both parties walked away with firm belief they each got a fair share of the bargain.

 

[Amar D]

It's all by the client. Someone will offer 1$, someone will offer 100,000$.
And the clients (people) are not same in their minds, skills, knowledge about domains/hosting, internet history.

If I would offer a 20+ years old domain to my mom, she would say "what is that, here is 5$ go get a drink and give me the name that i'll let expire".

 

[Lox]

Scenario 1, 2 :

etc

I do not see the "make an offer" option in my control panel. Only BIN.

 

[namelancer]

If I were to go back in time to change a registration date, it would simply be a made-up metric. True age metric, means somebody had the foresight to by it before somebody else.

Yes - for a time machine only

 

[Acroplex]

Here's the oldest WHOIS date you can ever see

 

[namelancer]

I do not see the "make an offer" option in my control panel. Only BIN.

But the best conversions (according to the market) are produced by a combination of BIN and make-offer lenders.

 

[Dondomainer]

I sold a 1995 domain at very good price, some years ago.

 

[Lox]

You can set a minimum offer aka BIN.