fun Rick Schwartz sold SmartGlasses.com to Microsoft for $2.88 Million

[Fuadiansyah]

Paid only $3,932 at Afternic on 2012-03-14

His twitter status:
https://twitter.com/DomainKing/status/848106876730564608

The domain itself now redirected to https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us


Update on Apr 2, 2017: April Fools!

 

[ametyst]

Very good advertisement of SmartGlasses/com domain and Ricks twitter page. Rick is a king of promotion and he know that VR/AR time is coming.

When he bought SmartGlasses/com I registered few domains like SmartGlassesStore.com and SmartGlassesForum.com

 

[JoeE]

That's a great sale...but you would have thought Microsoft would of at least picked up HDSmartGlasses.com as well...

HA! So you just registered this domain today and want Microsoft to notice you too?

 

[JoeE]

There are a few tech giants that I reckon would want that domain

It is a perfect self explanatory two word dot com

If it has been sold to Microsoft the $2.88m is very cheap because if the Internet giants start to outbid each other the price could easy be mid $xxm and still be cheap at that

Its the right domain at the right time and those that would want it have personal wealth of 40b + and a few m is loose change to them because they will make it a multi billion co

Fb or the big G I reckon would be the ideal owners obviously if it hasn't allegedly been sold to Microsoft

Ok now, let's not go nuts about the potential price this domain. Yes, it is a great domain and all, but it is useless to Microsoft other than for type-in traffic and organic search if any. They would never use it as a brand... so a $xx million and bid war is not likely. He'd be lucky if they take a bite at $1-2 M.

 

[Kingslayer]

I research a bit into VR/AR/MR and rarely see the term 'smart glasses' used all that much.

I think if Microsoft was targeting any domain (money no object), logical choice for them would be MixedReality dot com or Holo dot com as these are terms they are promoting, not 'smart glasses'.

 

[DOMAIN ILLUMINATI]

I think if MS would have wanted / need that domain, they would have bought it years ago already.

 

[platey]

smartglasses is not brandable. it's like smartphones. microsoft wouldn't buy it. they need a brand, not a "category killer". category killers is for domainers and seo guys. microsoft is a brand, software.com would add nothing to it, no matter how many typeins or google searches it has....

imho

Very good advertisement of SmartGlasses/com domain and Ricks twitter page. Rick is a king of promotion and he know that VR/AR time is coming.

When he bought SmartGlasses/com I registered few domains like SmartGlassesStore.com and SmartGlassesForum.com

Of those three domains you mentioned eg if you had the choice of either of the three which would you choose?

 

[platey]

Ok now, let's not go nuts about the potential price this domain. Yes, it is a great domain and all, but it is useless to Microsoft other than for type-in traffic and organic search if any. They would never use it as a brand... so a $xx million and bid war is not likely. He'd be lucky if they take a bite at $1-2 M.

If it did not sell although I think it did sell for the price stated at $2.88m

Domain name investors are good are finding good domains but seldom to they turn The good domain in to a multi billion dollar tech giant

Multi billionaire tech giant owners can see the potential of a good domain and the concept behind the domain and know how to take the idea of the domain and make it the success it can be

Their vast wealth cannot buy the domain they want when the person that owns it doesn't want to sell

$xm is effectively their reg fee lol

 

[EmadPing]

Hahaaa

 

[ametyst]

Personally, I think that Microsoft does not need the domain smartglasses/com if does not intend to buy any competitor as for example vuzix. They like more surface rather than smart

 

[DaveX]

smartglasses is not brandable. it's like smartphones. microsoft wouldn't buy it. they need a brand, not a "category killer". category killers is for domainers and seo guys. microsoft is a brand, software.com would add nothing to it, no matter how many typeins or google searches it has....

imho

Exactly. They would create a brand like windows or surface. Not an emd.

 

[JoeE]

If it did not sell although I think it did sell for the price stated at $2.88m

No, it did not. It was an April Fool's prank. Rick already came clean about it hours ago in multiple tweets. This domain is great and has a lot of potentials but large corporations create brands and their brands become widely known because they market them well and have deep pockets.

 

[Daniel Owens]

I see even his post goes although with this joke. Nice prank guys.

 

[platey]

No, it did not. It was an April Fool's prank. Rick already came clean about it hours ago in multiple tweets. This domain is great and has a lot of potentials but large corporations create brands and their brands become widely known because they market them well and have deep pockets.

OK so the sale wasn't a sale in which case it will sell for more than 2.8m

Large corporations create brands

So Facebook isn't a self explanatory two word. Com eg a book of faces? I that is also a brand?

Work. Space isn't a self explanatory domain before it became a n fb brand

Gameroom isn't a virtual room full of games?

Simple self explanatory two word. Coms are obviously sought by extremely large corporations which then trademark and brand common phrases to become brands

Smartglasses.com is a self explanatory two word dot com that will eventually be sold to either a seed funded tech start up that sells (let me think) oh smart glasses which will eventually be branded as smart glasses and it could well be a multi billion dollar company in due course

The potential for that domain is HUGE

It would also suit a celebrity or sports star

 

[hookbox]

SmartGlasses.com for 2.8 million? LOL That number would make it the highest priced two word domain in at least the past 5 years. I wonder how much Gullible.com is worth.

 

[TheLegendaryJP]

Desperate times, desperate measures.

 

[platey]

Not at all

Not every business shops in the bargain basement when building a brand

Some actually like quality and have the pennies to pay for a decent brand and that name is

Interesting times ahead if domain name investors can't see the huge potential in that name and its brand potential

There are names just as good on flippa that don't even get bids and or sold for $20-50ish that won't be for long because they will be snapped up by the. Com investors and when these names sell for very big bucks we will hear the domain details and purchase price and date etc and sold price and many will be doing goldfish impressions working out why domains that are not considered to be worth anything can be sold for so much

But in reality they were always worth the money they sell for but it's an art finding gold names for pennies

 

[Premiums]

what about Smart(.)Glass ?

 

[TheLegendaryJP]

I am referring to the tactic.

 

[platey]

what about Smart(.)Glass ?

Smart. Glass

Smart tech would be good

I almost bought a. Glass a year or so ago

 

[DaveX]

These are the top ten Smart Glasses makers out there along with their present urls...pretty interesting actually...

Snap Spectacles
spectacles.com

Vuzix Blade 3000
vuzix.com

ODG R7 AR/R8 and R9
osterhoutgroup.com

Vue
vue.backerkit.com

Solos
solos-wearables.com

Level
VSPglobal.com

Epson Moverio BT-300
https://epson.com/For-Home/Wearables/Smart-Glasses/c/h420

Recon Jet
reconinstruments.com

Sony SmartEyeGlass
developer.sonymobile.com

Jins Meme
jins-jp.com

Full article and photos of each pair of smartglasses here:
https://www.wareable.com/headgear/the-best-smartglasses-google-glass-and-the-rest