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domains “Everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday”(???)

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equity78

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Domaining really is like a lot of other businesses, the haves and the have nots. In a conversation with another domainer yesterday, they told me they did not agree. “Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday.” That is a nice sentiment and some would say […]

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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
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“Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday.”

I disagree. Most domains are objectively crap and they will never find a buyer.

Time does certainly help to maximize value on quality domains, but it won't turn water into wine.

Brad
 
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they just need the right timing for a big payday

Just a few days ago, I had a lowball figure come in on a domain I would have put a bin of mid xxx on, had I gotten around to it. By accident, when I countered, an extra zero got typed...they still have a little time left to decide, but if they pull the trigger, I have already decided what Indian street bike I will order.

Value of a domain is in the eye of the buyer. (borrowed from: 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder')
 
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The question is why do some people spend so much time and energy trying to prove that someone else is not a real domainer.

In my opinion anyone who thinks he or she is a domainer is a domainer,

No one can tell someone else that they are not a domainer.

And why do we think that having a lot of big sales should be the only metric or requirement for whether someone is considered to be a real domainer or not,

If I were able to hand register:

EndingStarvation.com

and

EndingStarvation.org

couple of months ago in my book that makes me more of a domainer than someone else who just sold a domain for 7 or 9 figures but couldn't come up with a decent domain to register no matter how hard they thought about it.

IMO
 
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The question is why do some people spend so much time and energy trying to prove that someone else is not a real domainer.

In my opinion anyone who thinks he or she is a domainer is a domainer,

No one can tell someone else that they are not a domainer.

And why do we think that having a lot of big sales should be the only metric or requirement for whether someone is considered to be a real domainer or not,

If I were able to hand register:

EndingStarvation.com

and

EndingStarvation.org

couple of months ago in my book that makes me more of a domainer than someone else who just sold a domain for 7 or 9 figures but couldn't come up with a decent domain to register no matter how hard they thought about it.

IMO

I don't really care what someone calls themselves. It is not like it takes some certification to be a "domainer".

At the end of the day all that matters is if what you are doing works.

Brad
 
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At the end of the day all that matters is if what you are doing works.

Brad

And how do you define what works,

People have different reasons and motives for wanting to be domainers,

Some are into domaining just for the money and then some others are happy collecting domains, and then a few might actually use domains to make a difference in the World,

We should not be judging others and we certainly should not be thinking any less of them if they don't fit into what we think a domainer should be.

Everyone even the Newbies can think of themselves as domainers,

And even if they fail to achieve their goals they are still domainers (perhaps not a successful domainer, but still a domainer).

IMO
 
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Collecting domains without making money in a space where liabilities renew in perpetuity starting at ~$10 a year is the cope and an adaptive strategy.
 
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Collecting domains without making money in a space where liabilities renew in perpetuity starting at ~$10 a year is the cope and an adaptive strategy.

Not if you think of it as a hobby,

Some people spend their money on games and others on going camping and fishing and some like to collect domains.

Everyone needs to have a hobby.

IMO
 
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Not if you think of it as a hobby,

Some people spend their money on games and others on going camping and fishing and some like to collect domains.

Everyone needs to have a hobby.

IMO
That would be based on an honest take of net gain, emotionally etc..

I'm sure this holds true in a minority of cases, a hobby of net good to hobbiest
 
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And how do you define what works,

People have different reasons and motives for wanting to be domainers,

Some are into domaining just for the money and then some others are happy collecting domains, and then a few might actually use domains to make a difference in the World,

We should not be judging others and we certainly should not be thinking any less of them if they don't fit into what we think a domainer should be.

Everyone even the Newbies can think of themselves as domainers,

And even if they fail to achieve their goals they are still domainers (perhaps not a successful domainer, but still a domainer).

IMO

People can define what works for them.

When it comes to business or investments though the goal is to generally make a profit.

If people want to treat it as a hobby, that is their prerogative.

There are plenty of "investors" in all fields that lose money. I don't think turning a profit is really a requirement for being a "domainer". It is a requirement though if you want to turn it into a business.

Brad
 
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I'm sure this holds true in a minority of cases, a hobby of net good to hobbiest

And then again we can't define what works for others or as you said has a net good for them,


So for example in my case Looking for new domains to register helps keep my mind active at my age and also helps me keep up to date with new technologies and trends, so I consider that a net gain.

Although like any other domainer I don't mind if I have a couple of sales here and there to pay for renewals. :xf.wink:

In my opinion each person should define for themselves what works for them and if they see it as a net gain to be a domainer.


IMO
 
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Domaining really is like a lot of other businesses, the haves and the have nots. In a conversation with another domainer yesterday, they told me they did not agree. “Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday.” That is a nice sentiment and some would say […]

Continue Reading
Very true. Just an example. I let Reinfection.com drop in the early 2020's & look at the market for that domain today.
 
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People can define what works for them.

When it comes to business or investments though the goal is to generally make a profit.

If people want to treat it as a hobby, that is their prerogative.

There are plenty of "investors" in all fields that lose money. I don't think turning a profit is really a requirement for being a "domainer". It is a requirement though if you want to turn it into a business.

Brad

And that's what I am saying too,

being a domainer is not necessarily all about making money,

as the matter of fact you can argue that a lot of the famous and successful people in the domain Industry are more of a business person than a domainer.

Anyone who has a passion about owning and registering domain names can call themselves a domainer as far as I am concerned even if they don't make any money.

IMO
 
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Different Strokes for Different Folks
 
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And that's what I am saying too,

being a domainer is not necessarily all about making money,

as the matter of fact you can argue that a lot of the famous and successful people in the domain Industry are more of a business person than a domainer.

Anyone who has a passion about owning and registering domain names can call themselves a domainer as far as I am concerned even if they don't make any money.

IMO

Adam Dicker has said and done a lot of things I disagree with.

I do get the point of the quote in the article though -

Newsflash: just because you can install wordpress you are not a domain expert!


Because of the low barrier to entry, there are a lot of fake it until you make it people in the field. I would be careful who you trust or follow. Sometimes it can be the blind leading the blind.

This is not just true with domaining though. There are fake "experts" in any field.

I don't really agree with the choice of names he used to illustrate that point though.

Brad
 
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“Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday.”

Feel good ephemeral talk that doesn't add zeros to the bank account, but subtracts zeros from your cash account straight into registry coffers. Most domains aren't worth anything to a reseller.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that up to 90% of registered URLs will never be resold for a profit.

Sure, there are those that register URLs as a hobby, but the super-majority of those that enter domain speculation are in it for profit. And as most will discover in due time, most URLs aren't worth the reg fee.

In fact, @Bob Hawkes did a good job showing that MOST public domains sell for less than $1000! This doesn't even take into account hold time.

https://www.namepros.com/blog/price-breakdown-of-com-sales-2018.1148522/

Ultimately, the super-majority are in domain speculation to make money and thinking EVERYONE is sitting on valuable domains isn't a practical approach to earning money in the domain game, if profit is your goal.
 
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As an addendum to the earlier post, I wouldn't be surprised to learn most publicly listed dot-Com domain name sales that appear on DNJournal.com are URLs that have been owned by pre-2005 pioneers of domain name speculation. And often, sales of URLs that make the publicly sold lists are broker deals for those same pioneering speculators or early entry corporations.

Earning money in 2021 domaining is a fine art requiring tons of targeted study, patience, competitive bank roll and luck. Even if you acquire all those prerequisite skills to compete in domain speculation, odds say you'll never make a sell in a post-2020 COVID market where wholesale prices are at all-time highs and climbing.

Knowing the reality of the aftermarket and being honest about your profit potential is key to competing in the highly speculative domain game. No amount of 'self talk' is going to replace the skills and bankroll needed to make regular profitable acquisitions and sales.
 
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“Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday

I would rephrase it. I'd say that ''almost every domainer has a domain that someone else will be interested in, at a certain point of a time''.

Now, on a practical side we look at a domain, saying ''garbage'' because no one really expects to hold a domain for 20 years to sell it for $100. But the idea itself is definitely there. That's exactly how it will be with the majority of them (of course counting the fact that domaining model and the whole world are still here with us in 25 years).
 
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Adam Dicker has said and done a lot of things I disagree with.

I do get the point of the quote in the article though -

Newsflash: just because you can install wordpress you are not a domain expert!


Because of the low barrier to entry, there are a lot of fake it until you make it people in the field. I would be careful who you trust or follow. Sometimes it can be the blind leading the blind.

This is not just true with domaining though. There are fake "experts" in any field.

I don't really agree with the choice of names he used to illustrate that point though.

Brad

I remember that one part that got deleted was you needed to make $500K a year to be a real domainer.

The full quote was
I am getting tired of people registering a domain name and setting up a simple wordpress blog and claiming to be a domain expert.

So many wanna bees popping up each month that have no business giving out advice to anyone…..

Domainsherpa, Chef Patrick and Morgan Linton to name a few but there are many more, nothing against these three. I just don’t feel they should be selling themselves as domain experts, good marketers — yes.

If you don’t make a good living in domaining you have no business giving out domain advice or pretending to be someone important in this industry.
 
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To be honest someone who got started two or three years ago in domaining and is now making 500k a year is whom people need to be listening to if they are looking for the kind of advice that can apply to them.

The advice given by the Oldtimers who got an easy start in domaining isn't really applicable anymore to what new domainers have to go through in 2021.

IMO
 
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It is a really good commentary that covers a lot of ground, @equity78 - thank you for sharing.

Here are my thoughts on some of the issues. While I would not go so far as to say every domainer has a very valuable name in their portfolio, I totally agree that there are names in many portfolios that in someone else's hands might well sell for much more. Confidence, financial position, negotiation skill, etc. all matter.

I agree with your point that there is too much dependence on simplified, and sometimes outdated, 'rules'.

I am glad that you brought up the fragmentation of the domain community. It was one of the things that surprised me when I began to be active in domain investing. I had expected that social media, conference participants, NamePros, those who read and interact with blogs, the social, would be largely the same people, and there are definitely some in common, but also rather different groups. I think hearing many voices can help us grow and innovate. Approached one to one, almost everyone seems welcoming. I hope gradually barriers will break down.

With respect to the broader point re who to listen to, I disagree with the quote attributed to AD. In most fields, or some at least, emphasis is placed on the value of the idea, moreso than who say it. In fields like science, many good ideas (and yes huge number that turn out not to be good) come from relatively young scientists. Science would be in bad shape if only the elderly scientists spoke at conferences.

Thanks again,

Bob
 
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“Raymond everyone is sitting on valuable domains, they just need the right timing for a big payday.”

I disagree. Most domains are objectively crap and they will never find a buyer.

Time does certainly help to maximize value on quality domains, but it won't turn water into wine.

Brad
some crap domains sold for 4 or 5 figure.
 
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some crap domains sold for 4 or 5 figure.

True. Though domain investing is about likelihoods. It is far more likely that the higher quality the domain, the more likely a sale is.

You need repeatable sales to build a business. It is hard to do it on outliers.

Brad
 
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It is not like it takes some certification to be a "domainer".

Hi Brad

don't tell that to the folks selling domain course$

imo....
 
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