.mobi Interesting Experiment

[Work In Progress]

I ran a little experiment over the weekend with a few of my .mobi names.

As many of you saw (with over 80 views), I placed 20 names on auction in the marketplace with a $20.00 starting price. 1 of the names sold at $20.00. I was actually quite pleased that most of the others did not sell.
Why?
I purposely put in several names that I feel…change that to I know… have great mobile potential. I was curious as to if anyone would see 2x reg fee “value” in these. After seeing so many very questionable names being regged in these threads, I thought I would offer up a few to see if they would be “snatched up” by anyone. Several have OVT’s over 10k, 1 has what looks to be a nice .com running, one re-directs to what I would presume to be a very popular .com parking page (joke.com) and one that I really thought would be taken even has it’s own directory category in Yahoo (Flight Trackers), along with ovt of over 73K…yet nobody thought it was worth $20.00…
I‘m not saying all of these are potential gems, but I sure would consider several to qualify.

Now, more “funny” insight:

Even at this very early stage of dot mobi, and the less than stellar recognition the general public has for it, before putting them in marketplace, 3 of these names are on track to more than pay for themselves (at reg fee) parked. This in itself is a strong indicator that they have very good future potential. Yet nobody bit…

I’m glad I still own these. Many won’t be offered back anytime soon (at least not for $20.00). I found this to be a very interesting experiment with results that surprised me. Hopefully, some of you will find the outcome interesting as well.

My biggest question to all would be, how do you place value your mobi names?


:wave:

 

[garrett200]

Care to tell us what they were, now that they are no longer for sale?

 

[cosmik debris]

I for one am very happy with your little experiment. If I would have known that I would be the only one bidding I would have bid on more. Really surprised that some of the others were not taken. Thank you Mark.

 

[movingconcierge]

I've bought and sold 3 houses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. At no time did I ever listen to the bank appraisals. I put my own value on them - 20-30K over what the appraisal happened to come back at. I got my price.

Regarding names: I put the value that if I were looking as the role I am selling to (be it reseller, developer, or enduser) I'd be willing to pay. I don't give a red rat's ass what the likes .com hippy guru's or so called "kings" say. I own it. I price it. I sell it.

If you're not leading (especially yourself) you are just another stinking sheep :bah: :bah: :bah:

Don't listen to critics. They all have their (usually transparent) agenda and are nearly 100% wrong nearly 100% of the time - ESPECIALLY HERE.

 

[Jeff]

Yet nobody bit…

I’m glad I still own these. Many won’t be offered back anytime soon (at least not for $20.00). I found this to be a very interesting experiment with results that surprised me. Hopefully, some of you will find the outcome interesting as well.

My biggest question to all would be, how do you place value your mobi names?

Nice experiment, and thanks for sharing Work ... unless the domains are of the three LLL.mobi variety, there is generally not much going on currently IMHO. Call it a malaise, or even jitters ... coming off the initial H.Y.P.E. and heading into the next Traffic Show in New York, respectively. :blink:

I think we all should value our .MOBI's for their development potential (verus short-temr aftermarket viability), IMHO. :gl:
Thanks again, very interesting indeed.
-Jeff

 

[SimpleDomaining]

I've bought and sold 3 houses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. At no time did I ever listen to the bank appraisals. I put my own value on them - 20-30K over what the appraisal happened to come back at. I got my price.

Regarding names: I put the value that if I were looking as the role I am selling to (be it reseller, developer, or enduser) I'd be willing to pay. I don't give a red rat's ass what the likes .com hippy guru's or so called "kings" say. I own it. I price it. I sell it.

If you're not leading (especially yourself) you are just another stinking sheep :bah: :bah: :bah:

Don't listen to critics. They all have their (usually transparent) agenda and are nearly 100% wrong nearly 100% of the time - ESPECIALLY HERE.

100% agree! gold words.
several years ago i met somebody who literally could buy $1 item and sell it right there for $100, and now is a very rich man, i believe, that there is no stamped appraisal value on anything. everything is worth how much others are willing to pay.

 

[garrett200]

Nice experiment, and thanks for sharing Work ... unless the domains are of the three LLL.mobi variety, there is generally not much going on currently IMHO.

Jeff,

What if they are not LLL.mobi? He says some of them have almost paid for themselves in parking. If that's the case, the names are valuable, I don't care if they're LLL.mobi or not.

 

[GeoOwners]

I sold a non-lll .mobi 2 weeks ago for $200. It was a great subject and in the right hands can be a nice site.

it's all in the creativity of the owner...



.

 

[Jeff]

What if they are not LLL.mobi? He says some of them have almost paid for themselves in parking. If that's the case, the names are valuable, I don't care if they're LLL.mobi or not.

I agree that if they are generating parking monies that they may have value, IMHO ... LLL.mobi or not ... but I don't think that was the OP's main point, and I was speaking in very general terms ("generally not much going on"), as well. No worries.

I sold a non-lll .mobi 2 weeks ago for $200. It was a great subject and in the right hands can be a nice site.

it's all in the creativity of the owner...

:bingo:

Congrats on the sale, Dental! :tu:
-Jeff

 

[Work In Progress]

BTW, the names in question , although no longer up for auction, can still be viewed in the marketplace.

And one more note of interest:
For those who track these things, Estibot valuation of one of the $20.00 names that did not sell was $831.00...while another one had an Estibot valuation of $321.00

:blink:

And to you, movingconcierge, I fully agree with your words of wisdom. I was really skittish about putting these names up, as I had defiantly put a nice value on quite a few of them. But pricing them at what I felt they were valued at would not allow me to see what the market was really doing. I did figure that I would loose more than 1 name to get the findings I was looking for. But I was also fairly sure that others would bring in multiple bids....Either way, I'm glad I was wrong...

 

[Jo]

Are you saying that you set a reserve? And thanks so much for holding this experiment and reporting it.

 

[oldtimer]

Lets repeat the experiment at $10 per domain and this time we’ll be ready.

Sometimes when you price domains too cheap it gives the impression that they might not be good names, you might have had better results if you had them starting at $200.00 each.

 

[NameCharger]

My biggest question to all would be, how do you place value your mobi names?

Currently, my value on my mobis is more than the market is bearing. It's okay though, I'm confident someone who has the $$$ that is able to see my vision behind the names will step up and complete the equation.

 

[scandiman]

Nice experiment, and thanks for sharing Work ... unless the domains are of the three LLL.mobi variety, there is generally not much going on currently IMHO. Call it a malaise, or even jitters ... coming off the initial H.Y.P.E. and heading into the next Traffic Show in New York, respectively. :blink:

Malaise, jitters, hype. Jeff, at the very least you are consistent in seeing .mobi with turd colored glasses. Not much going on? I can't believe I just read that. LongIsland.mobi and Petersburg.mobi just sold here in the marketplace for undisclosed sums. LGD.mobi was reported to have sold for 10,000 USD. It has nothing to do with malaise or jitters, it has to do with FOCUS! I can't speak for others but I don't buy just anything. There are areas in which I am focusing my portfolio and developments and it is reasonable to presume others behave in similar ways.

Work, thanks for sharing your experiment. I wish you well with your still owned names and congratulations on your sale.

 

[Jeff]

Scandiman ... the experiment, as I understood it to be, was in the context of the auction of undeveloped .MOBI domain names here at the Wholesale level! Here is an observation I shared, again in this context, above ... "unless the domains are of the three LLL.mobi variety, there is generally not much going on currently IMHO." :gl:

I think you may have misunderstood Work's experiment ... as LongIsland.mobi was, I believe, a developed .MOBI website, sold to a fellow member (for undisclosed price and terms). Petersburg.mobi was posted as "sold" as well (undisclosed price and terms, and no indication as to whether "sold" to a fellow member here, End user, or elsewhere, etc.). Same with LGD.mobi ... there was a long thread about its "sale" (Buyer and terms not disclosed), and I'm hopeful for details in the upcoming DNJ for comparison purposes! :gl:
Do you have any details on these three sales, other than what has been posted thus far? :talk:

Focus is good, but so is comparing apples with apples ... and also staying in the context of the OP's topic / thread, IMHO.
See you soon.
-Jeff

 

[scandiman]

Scandiman ... the experiment, as I understood it to be, was in the context of the auction of undeveloped .MOBI domain names here at the Wholesale level! Here is an observation I shared, again in this context, above ... "unless the domains are of the three LLL.mobi variety, there is generally not much going on currently IMHO." :gl:

I think you may have misunderstood Work's experiment ... as LongIsland.mobi was, I believe, a developed .MOBI website, sold to a fellow member (for undisclosed price and terms). Petersburg.mobi was posted as "sold" as well (undisclosed price and terms, and no indication as to whether "sold" to a fellow member here, End user, or elsewhere, etc.). Same with LGD.mobi ... there was a long thread about its "sale" (Buyer and terms not disclosed), and I'm hopeful for details in the upcoming DNJ for comparison purposes! :gl:
Do you have any details on these three sales, other than what has been posted thus far? :talk:

Focus is good, but so is comparing apples with apples ... and also staying in the context of the OP's topic / thread, IMHO.
See you soon.
-Jeff

As the buyer of petersburg it is my desire that the terms remain confidential.

As for LongIsland, I will defer to the buyer to comment on whether or not the existing site had any bearing on the purchase.

As for LGD, the terms were disclosed, but not the buyer.

As for staying on topic, someone reporting an experiment does not IMO warrant comments like malaise, jitters, hype and not much going on. An unnecessary injection of negativity that ignores info that have been presented in this very forum. If someone not selling some domains equates to malaise, jitters and hype than all tld's are doomed.

I think we all should value our .MOBI's for their development potential (verus short-temr aftermarket viability), IMHO.

Now that is on topic to the OP's biggest and final question and worth discussing. In general I agree with you and I am hoping you could expand on this in relation to your own name skedaddle.

 

[Jeff]

As the buyer of petersburg it is my desire that the terms remain confidential.

As for LongIsland, I will defer to the buyer to comment on whether or not the existing site had any bearing on the purchase.

As for LGD, the terms were disclosed, but not the buyer.

Congrats on the Petersburg purchase ... if I recall the thread just said "sold" so for all we knew it could have been offsite and to an End user, IMHO. I'm assuming the development of LongIsland played a factor, but let's get clarification from the Buyer if he's interested, I agree. LGD was reported by the Seller as $X,xxx ... hopefully more details - including the Buyer and development plans - are coming tom'w in the DNJ. Regardless, these three exceptions don't compare generally to the everyday Wholesale apples ... those apples in the context of the OP's experiment, IMHO. :gl:
Nonetheless, Congrats on your purchase and thanks for the post! :music:

I think we all should value our .MOBI's for their development potential (verus short-temr aftermarket viability), IMHO.

Now that is on topic to the OP's biggest and final question and worth discussing. In general I agree with you and I am hoping you could expand on this in relation to your own name skedaddle. [/QUOTE]

Righto, with the proceeds from the sale of Honkers I was able to replace Skedaddle with another domain name to be developed ... and then simply realligned the hierarchy factoring in my time commitment, initial development and marketing costs, etc. Skedaddle is still for sale at this time! :tu:
Thanks again, Paul.
-Jeff

 

[scandiman]

Congrats on the Petersburg purchase ... if I recall the thread just said "sold" so for all we knew it could have been offsite and to an End user, IMHO.

I am an end user who prefers to shop wholesale. Good way to save some money.

Regardless, these three exceptions don't compare generally to the everyday Wholesale apples ... those apples in the context of the OP's experiment, IMHO. :gl:
Nonetheless, Congrats on your purchase and thanks for the post! :music:

You'll have to explain how 3 very recent sales are exceptions because it makes no sense to me.

 

[acc]

To analyze the outcome of an experiment of any kind, one must look at the results in relation to the sample size and the control or baseline properties of the subject. And when selling names or anything else, one must meet the needs and wants and price range of the buyer. Pricing is ultimately based on supply and demand.

In this case the subject was twenty, mostly two-word dot mobi names registered between Feb 2008 and May 2008. With all due respect to the OP and the potential future development prospects for many of the names, I think most would agree that these were not landrush, premium generic, or high-demand names. Many multi-word terms as well as terms in non-english languages are still available for hand registering in the dot mobi extension.

The OP can use this "experiment" to draw whatever experience or conclusion he'd like. It's always good to experiment and think. But drawing a larger conclusion about dot mobi name sales of all levels in general based upon this small sample size of commonly available names is not really accurate or prudent.

Dot mobi name sales and development are ongoing in public and in private.

 

[Work In Progress]

Lets repeat the experiment at $10 per domain and this time we’ll be ready.

Sometimes when you price domains too cheap it gives the impression that they might not be good names, you might have had better results if you had them starting at $200.00 each.

Ahh...the psychology of sales...price it too cheap and it's perceived as "must not be worth it"...this just might be what happened. But, if they were priced at $200 each, my whole reasoning for doing this would not of been justified.

ACC,
The results I gained from this were not meant to represent all .mobi sales and the names were not considered or ever represented as "premium or landrush" by any stretch of the imagination. But the majority of the names chosen can easily be developed into mobile applications. Landrush and premium generics are not the only mobi's that carry value. Again, I did not consider these names "top-notch" names...but SOME have a pretty good chance at making some $$$ down the road. The results were for my information, but I thought I would share this with others here. To some, it might be worthwhile. To others, worthless. Use it for what it's worth to you

My ultimate value of my mobi's are their relevance to the mobile environment. I look for products and services that an end user might be looking for on the fly. To me, I feel common sense out-weighs OVT or wordtracker results. These results are only relevant to the desk top search. Just because there were 73,866 people searching on Yahoo for flight trackers doesn't mean they'll be doing the same on their mobile. But in the case of a a mobile-friendly term as this, they just might. But for now, we can't track mobile search results, so we have to rely on our instincts. And my instincts say that's a keeper...thanks for not bidding on it

And finally, to answer Jo before I get some shut-eye...No, there was no reserve set. And your welcome :gl: