This was great discussion, until it has changed into discussion about single complicated 4L sale
Some of you guys are saying here about "liquidity" in domain investing... For me it's strange (don't want to say naive) because domain investing is typically a speculative business and from its roots it isn't liquid business or business which allows making money quick and easy. Q3 2015 was abnormal.
If someone really wants liquidity, there are different investment assets at capital markets. What beautiful is in domain names is that it's possible to buy a domain name for several hundreds and sell it for several thousands. Is it more likely to happen with a generic domain name, or a brandable one, than with random 4L which works as initials for some company? - it's difficult to say. I'd say it isn't or it depends on a domain name. Eg. if your random 4L .com represents someone's abbreviation, it's likely and easy to turn $300 investment into $1k~$5k sale, depending on buyer's motivation. Would it be easier to sell "genericproductname.com" of the same company to this company? - I don't think so, I'd say more difficult and factual ROI would depend on the quality of this generic name.
I agree with several opinions which say that "CHIP trading" may be over (nobody knows, that's gambling!), at least in the scale seen in Q3,2015. It's been crazy and any market likes such craziness.
But 4L .com have been and will stay short high quality domain names, good both for startups and existing companies. I'd risk to say that nice looking random 4L, even 4-characters like LNNN or LLNN .com, may be better for a brand name than a silly made up typical 'brandable'.
For domainers, 4L is relatively low-risk investment, unless someone paid thousands for single domain. Good luck everyone! ~AW