.mobi .mobi Doing Much Better Than Expected

[jmcc]

I was looking at the stats for the .mobi zonefile this morning and the count was 867629. The landrush anniversary count was 959154. The difference in registration volume is 91525 domains. The volume of domains in the zone is only off by 9.54%. The Landrush anniversary was 26 September 2008 and as such the landrush in many of the newer TLDs tends to last approximately three months. During these three months the number of new registrations surges. After this initial period, the registration numbers begin to fall off.

I posted an article about this on my blog [1] but this post just summarises it. The number of domains that have dropped out of the zonefile since the landrush anniversary is 154006 but in the same time, 62481 new domains have been seen. This is lessening the effect of the Junk Dump phase when the stuff that could not be sold is dropped. Far from being a wipeout, there is still life left in .mobi.

Regards...jmcc
[1] http://blog.whoisireland.com/2008/12/31/mobi-registrations-doing-much-better-than-expected/

 

[Kate]

The .mobi zone has been shrinking at a brisk pace. We're at 853160 names today and counting.

 

[snoop]

Really? Are registrars charging 90% - 100% less than they did during landrush and thereafter?

I'm talking about falls in domain values, not registration costs.

 

[mjnels]

The .mobi zone has been shrinking at a brisk pace. We're at 853160 names today and counting.

i expected much, much more during this point in time... im surprised how many got renewed.

i have been thinking about it and i kind of expect big drops in 2009 as well.... probably not as big as this year.... but dunno, just a gut feeling.

 

[mediaadvantages]

snoop....please show me an example of this 90%-100% drop in value. you have said this a few times in different posts. show us some proof of a name with your estimated value before and your estimated value now or just shut your mouth and move on.

and don't give us this LLL.mobi crap. i'm sure you are going to say LLLs were worth $300 before and now they are worth reg fee. let me take care of this issue before you even try to use it. while you may think all LLLs were selling for $300 this is not true. I bought a couple premium LLLs during this time including App.mobi for just over that price and also bought some non pronouncable ones with premium letters for $100. I know for a fact I could get more than reg fee out of them. And App.mobi is worth much more than what I paid for it.

 

[snoop]

snoop....please show me an example of this 90%-100% drop in value. you have said this a few times in different posts. show us some proof of a name with your estimated value before and your estimated value now or just shut your mouth and move on.

and don't give us this LLL.mobi crap. i'm sure you are going to say LLLs were worth $300 before and now they are worth reg fee. let me take care of this issue before you even try to use it. while you may think all LLLs were selling for $300 this is not true. I bought a couple premium LLLs during this time including App.mobi for just over that price and also bought some non pronouncable ones with premium letters for $100. I know for a fact I could get more than reg fee out of them. And App.mobi is worth much more than what I paid for it.

I think the 90% is applicable to the highest quality names, 100% the lower quality names.

I'm not much into "estimated values" as it becomes a circular argument where people make up whatever now and then values suits their argument.

Good example of some actual auction data is games.mobi,

$401,500

http://www.sedo.com/auction/auction...=us&auction_id=20734&tracked=&partnerid=29506

$44,000

http://sedo.com/auction/auction_history.php?language=us&auction_id=41423&tracked=&partnerid=42852

Whilst you'd like to dismiss the LLL.mobi as only having fallen from $100 from what I have seen the minimum reached $200 (you say some are claiming $300 though personally I have never seen anybody claim that level).

Whether you think the minimum was $200, $100 or $50 either way that investment has been entirely wiped out with them now selling for reg fee and less, after having gone through a renewal cycle ie 100% loss.

I bought a couple premium LLLs during this time including App.mobi for just over that price and also bought some non pronouncable ones with premium letters for $100. I know for a fact I could get more than reg fee out of them. And App.mobi is worth much more than what I paid for it.

People buy underpriced/overpriced domains all the time, I'm not saying "everyone has lost 100% on all LLL.mobi", I am saying the values of low end .mobi names have fallen 100%.

 

[mediaadvantages]

you could say the value of all low end domains have fallen 90%-100%. you seem to make statements about ALL .mobis when you should just be saying "low end .mobis". there were lots of names regd that were crap, thats the reason they were dropped.

your use of games.mobi as an example looks legit, but actually isn't. the reason it went for so high last time was because of one person. while that one person does set a perceived value, they don't determine the overall value of the .mobi industry. the person was an end user, and we all know the value of a domain is easily 10x when it comes to an end user.

when you say 90% applies to the highest quality names, you are full of crap. the only info you have to go off of is games.mobi and maybe 1 or 2 more. you don't have the slightest knowledge of offers that i and other premium auction winners have been offered for domains we currently own. i know for a fact of two premium auction domains that have had offers of more than 10x what the domain auction ended at. i also know of about 10 others who have received offers of 2x-5x the amount their auctions ended at. i'm sure there are others also but these are just the ones i am aware of.

every time you claim .mobi is worthless you only make yourself look more like an ass and not intelligent. just because you haven't had offers at multiple times the amount you paid for it doesn't mean it isn't happening. maybe the problem is you own lots of "low end .mobis" and haven't been able to sell them so you dropped them and consider that a 100% loss.

 

[snoop]

you could say the value of all low end domains have fallen 90%-100%. you seem to make statements about ALL .mobis when you should just be saying "low end .mobis". there were lots of names regd that were crap, thats the reason they were dropped.

I think I explained myself pretty clearly. I think the upper end has fallen 90%, eg games.mobi, the lower end 100%.

your use of games.mobi as an example looks legit, but actually isn't. the reason it went for so high last time was because of one person. while that one person does set a perceived value, they don't determine the overall value of the .mobi industry. the person was an end user, and we all know the value of a domain is easily 10x when it comes to an end user.

What we have here is every excuse in the book. An auction is an auction. Obviously more than one person pushed it to 400k. Ironically someone earlier today claimed it was bought by an enduser at $44,000.

when you say 90% applies to the highest quality names, you are full of crap.

I think the argument is getting a bit desperate now...

every time you claim .mobi is worthless you only make yourself look more like an ass and not intelligent.

These are your words not mine, I have said this market has tanked, 90%-100% value falls, I didn't say ".mobi is worthless".

just because you haven't had offers at multiple times the amount you paid for it doesn't mean it isn't happening. maybe the problem is you own lots of "low end .mobis" and haven't been able to sell them so you dropped them and consider that a 100% loss.

I don't own any .mobi's.

 

[qO_Op]

Snoop, why don't u contact the owner of Games.mobi and see how much they will sell it for now, to find out if the prices are still decreasing?

 

[scandiman]

Snoop, why don't u contact the owner of Games.mobi and see how much they will sell it for now, to find out if the prices are still decreasing?

:lol:

 

[mediaadvantages]

here you go snoop....here is some real info for you.

GM May08 ($23.20) Nov08 ($2.79)
Ford May08 ($8.48) Nov08 ($1.26)
Chevron May08 ($103.09) Oct08 ($57.03)
GE May08 ($38.43) Nov08 ($12.84)
Citigroup May08 ($26.39) Nov08 ($3.77)
Bank of Amercia May08 ($39.79) Nov08 ($11.25)
Verizon May08 ($39.32) Nov08 ($26.50)
IBM May08 ($129.71) Nov08 ($71.74)
Valero May08 ($52.88) Nov08 ($14.05)
Home Depot May08 ($30.12) Nov08 ($18.52)
McKesson May08 ($58.78) Nov08 ($28.60)
Cardinal Health May08 ($56.31) Nov08 ($28.38)
Yahoo May08 ($26.81) Nov08 ($8.95)
Microsoft May08 ($31.80) Nov08 ($17.53)
Google May08 ($593.08) Nov08 ($257.44)
Boeing May08 ($85.14) Nov08 ($37.48)
AT&T May08 ($40.51) Oct08 ($22.42)
Target Sept08 ($57.87) Nov08 ($28.00)
Dell Sept08 ($25.21) Nov08 ($9.30)
BestBuy June08 ($47.52) Nov08 ($17.63)
MetLife Sept08 ($63.00) Nov08 ($19.00)
Sears Apr08 ($111.59) Nov08 ($28.50)
Wells Fargo Sept08 ($39.80) Nov08 ($21.76)
Time Warner Sept08 ($16.70) Nov08 ($7.07)
Caterpillar Apr08 ($85.28) Nov08 ($32.84)
American Express May08 ($51.33) Nov08 ($17.23)
Walt Disney May08 ($35.00) Nov08 ($19.94)
FedEx May08 ($98.65) Nov08 ($54.94)
Honeywell May08 ($62.43) Nov08 ($25.38)
Alcoa May08 ($43.33) Nov08 ($8.44)
Dupont May08 ($20.04) Nov08 ($1.70)
International Paper Sept08 ($30.00) Nov08 ($10.36)
Halliburton Jul08 ($53.91) Nov08($13.46)

These are some of the top companies in the world and it seems they are way down also. Maybe everyone should just give away stocks since they are so far down in value they are practically worthless! Snoop....go somewhere else, it's your OPINIONS that are worthless.

 

[dubya]

Coming from someone who makes a living developing mobile websites (that is dotMobi only), I do have faith in the extension. It's the DOMAINERS that dont. Develop your mobis already

 

[Kate]

your use of games.mobi as an example looks legit, but actually isn't. the reason it went for so high last time was because of one person. while that one person does set a perceived value, they don't determine the overall value of the .mobi industry. the person was an end user, and we all know the value of a domain is easily 10x when it comes to an end user.

To put it differently, a few months later the end users have left the boat ? Not a good sign.

It is pretty clear that the speculative bubble has burst and domainers have other, newer TLDs to play with (hello .me !).
.mobi is not in the news anymore. The prices were inflated to begin with.

Snoop, why don't u contact the owner of Games.mobi and see how much they will sell it for now, to find out if the prices are still decreasing?

Obviously they are not going to sell at a loss. Now that they are stuck with their costly acquisition they need to develop.

Who cares if they are asking $1000000 for their domain. That doesn't mean it's worth it.
The strength of the market is determined by the prices buyers are actually paying for domains (whether it is domainers or end users).

 

[mediaadvantages]

To put it differently, a few months later the end users have left the boat ? Not a good sign.

It is pretty clear that the speculative bubble has burst and domainers have other, newer TLDs to play with (hello .me !).
.mobi is not in the news anymore. The prices were inflated to begin with.


Obviously they are not going to sell at a loss. Now that they are stuck with their costly acquisition they need to develop.

Who cares if they are asking $1000000 for their domain. That doesn't mean it's worth it.
The strength of the market is determined by the prices buyers are actually paying for domains (whether it is domainers or end users).

WOW...it amazes me how confused you must be. There has been more news revolving around .mobi domains in the past few months than the previous two years combined. sorry if you don't see it. show me what end users have left the boat???

 

[scandiman]

Now that they are stuck with their costly acquisition they need to develop.

It's humorous to see domainers passing judgment, I highly doubt that an established company steeped in online gaming is feeling "stuck" with the domain games.mobi.

 

[think]

It's humorous to see domainers passing judgment, I highly doubt that an established company steeped in online gaming is feeling "stuck" with the domain games.mobi.

Totally agree with ya Scandi

After spending a purported $10 million on Juegos.com I'm sure they aren't concerned about the amount they spent for Games.mobi and it's development:

http://www.juegos.com/

They own many other great game names beyond that as well:

http://www.spilgames.com/portals/portals_where.php

Didn't realize till now but looks like they own and developed Juegos.mobi as well:

http://www.Juegos.mobi

 

[Kate]

+1 to you guys. I was under the impression it was bought by a domainer :hehe:
The question remains: where did the 400K bidder go ?

 

[scandiman]

+1 to you guys. I was under the impression it was bought by a domainer :hehe:
The question remains: where did the 400K bidder go ?

A lot of people who found themselves entangled in the Sedo fiasco have moved on to other things. A screwed up auction system resulted in legal posturing between 2 sets of buyers and the seller (mTLD).

 

[coast]

Coming from someone who makes a living developing mobile websites (that is dotMobi only), I do have faith in the extension. It's the DOMAINERS that dont. Develop your mobis already

Dubya I give up preaching that word here, especially since the main antagonist just said he does not own any .mobi domain names, yet he seems to enjoy posting here just for the sport of it.

Anyone who hasn't figured out by now that mTLD is in the developer business and not the domainer business hasn't been paying attention. Ready.mobi, DeviceAtlas, Site.mobi - but not a parking program in sight. They've voted with their salaries where they want the focus to go -- to a developed .mobi namespace.

The .mobi owners who learned to develop or paid developers are the ones who are going to prosper in the long run. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[mjnels]

i dont know... i think anything is a "developers extension"

you can develop on a .travel but it doesnt mean that will make that namespace valuable as a whole.

when people say ".mobi is dead" or "has lost most its value".... they usually mean as a pure play domaining TLD. developing does not rely on any specific TLD.. but rather, good ideas and monetizing of your developed site (in this case, mobile targeted sites)


i think its important to note when snoop is talking about .mobi's value... he is speaking from a domaining standpoint. which, whether most people on this forum want to admit it or not... THAT is what MOST are concerned about. almost everyone wants their undeveloped name to be worth more money. that is what domaining is all about

there are often 3 different conversations going on at once.... and usually each person doesnt even comprehend what the other is saying.. its separate arguments. and regarding "naysayers"... i usually find snoop to be quite rational from a domaining standpoint. i really dont even know why "developers" are concerned that .mobi doesnt have a huge resale value for undeveloped domains... or is less than what it was 2 years ago. because like i said, developers are reliant on good ideas... not an undeveloped domains resale value.

 

[luckypig]

wow

Haha.......mobi 's time is coming .