discuss So I asked my wife..

[HotKey]

Should I buy the domain..
and before I could even get to the name, she responded with a big "NO!"
I paused for a minute or so, then continued with the name "blahblah.extension"

She paused for a few seconds.. then said "Well why don't you sell what you already have?"

I said "It's good to keep fresh inventory." To which she responded "I think you should sell, before you buy."

She raised a good point. I mean, we can keep on adding names to our inventory, but no matter the excuse, at some point its poignant to take a step back and focus on existing carrying costs and what we already have. It's easy to get excited about a new name, because we don't it yet. But this is the same feeling that we had about just about every domain we pick up, isn't it? And if it doesn't sell, there it sits.

Point is, some domains take longer than others to sell but in the meantime year over year we have to pay the price to hold them, and there will always be "fresh" names to add- it's basically never-ending. So unless you're selling regularly or have a steady stream of capital to keep renewing, don't let a quick fancy make a dent in your wallet.

I think, this was her wisdom. Or common sense. My wife at times is my sounding board, to which I am extremely grateful for. Other times, I wonder what the heck I am missing out on, but such is life. You'll never miss what you never had.

Do you have a sounding board that you filter your domaining through, or do you fall for impulse buying more often than not?

Hope you all have enjoyed your summer thus far, and enjoyed your domaining even more. Let's sell, before we buy.

 

[bmugford]

It is always good to focus on carrying costs.

With that said, domain investing is an extremely complex field involving subjective values. Many people in the field don't grasp it, never mind outside the field.

There is a major lack of liquidity and only time brings max value to quality domains.

Selling a domain before you buy another is not possible with average sell through rates.
I mean you can register 100 domains, sell (1) for $3K and more than triple your money.

You don't need to sell every domain you own. It is very possible to make a massive profit with only a handful of winners.

Brad

 

[AK85]

Theoretically, we should sell before we buy, i agree, but everytime I see a 'good' name i feel like this is the one that can make the change. Slowly it will sit there with many of its friends in my plrtfolio.

The thing is, I do like the feeling before buying a name, the excitement just before winning an auction! The minute you buy it, you start feeling guilty, at least that's me. But it's been among the very few things that still excites me, so I still do it for the adventure and the adrenaline. I hope I don't sound crazy here.

Amr

 

[Samer]

Amazing.

There's a ".extension"

Listen to your wife;
"A happy wife, is a happy life." P

Samer

 

[garptrader]

Domain names as investments are very illiquid - on occasion can be sold for many times one's investment cost on that one domain but at a portfolio level will often result in periods of negative cash flow to support maintaining inventory. With the exception of those who have been in this space for close to 20 years, offers are not a regular event. If a portfolio is generating positive cash flow monthly, it is easier to acquire new inventory. Unfortunately even after many years in this space I still see little evidence of end user appreciation of domain names as worthwhile investments in their business' success. They will resort to hyphens, word abbreviations, numbers, extra words and weird extensions to avoid the aftermarket. If the domain owner has something truly unique they may approach them but will often insult domain investors as though they were drug traffickers or mafiosos There are other investment fields - real estate, stocks, bonds, commodities and Crypto currencies which perhaps should be considered. In the end our significant others cannot evaluate a potential domain investment as their experience cannot compare to ours. But we have to make that decision. Of course we can look back at our success ratio with domains of different types - one-word, two-word, .COM, cctld, alt TLD, LLLL, keyword X, etc. Where does this domain fall and what has been our sales ratio with that type of domain?

 

[RogueWriter]

Should I buy the domain..
and before I could even get to the name, she responded with a big "NO!"
I paused for a minute or so, then continued with the name "blahblah.extension"

She paused for a few seconds.. then said "Well why don't you sell what you already have?"

I said "It's good to keep fresh inventory." To which she responded "I think you should sell, before you buy."

She raised a good point. I mean, we can keep on adding names to our inventory, but no matter the excuse, at some point its poignant to take a step back and focus on existing carrying costs and what we already have. It's easy to get excited about a new name, because we don't it yet. But this is the same feeling that we had about just about every domain we pick up, isn't it? And if it doesn't sell, there it sits.

Point is, some domains take longer than others to sell but in the meantime year over year we have to pay the price to hold them, and there will always be "fresh" names to add- it's basically never-ending. So unless you're selling regularly or have a steady stream of capital to keep renewing, don't let a quick fancy make a dent in your wallet.

I think, this was her wisdom. Or common sense. My wife at times is my sounding board, to which I am extremely grateful for. Other times, I wonder what the heck I am missing out on, but such is life. You'll never miss what you never had.

Do you have a sounding board that you filter your domaining through, or do you fall for impulse buying more often than not?

Hope you all have enjoyed your summer thus far, and enjoyed your domaining even more. Let's sell, before we buy.

If your wife says no before she hears your idea, she is not vested in your dream. You need to either proceed without her, or give up on your dream.

if she listens to the domain, and discusses it with you and has concerns, that is legitimate. But, you are going to have to educate her on your business plan, and how domaining works. My wife was not at all interested in Affiliate Marketing, back in the day when I was active. She complained about all the web sites I was building, but I did not stop, I had a vision of what I wanted and it was working, I was making money. I think I told her to just think of it as my vice, my entertainment, that at least I was not doing drugs, drinking or cheating on her. One day she went to the mail and wanted to know what the $1,500 check to me was for. When I said, "Affiliate Marketing," her whole persona changed, all of a sudden she was on board. That might have to happen to you. Make a sale, mention it, but don't stuff it in her face, she will come around.

 

[NickB]

I have a very impulsive streak and if it was not for my other half dread to think were I would be......probably on a beach in Mexico running a little bar with 5000 useless domains draining my resources. Instead I have 3 children, a dog, 270 odd domains and a website soon to be launched

Funny what a sounding board does to a person....

 

[AEProgram]

Next time she discusses buying more clothing ask her to sell the stuff she will never wear but holds onto just in case... See how that goes. Good luck.

 

[pixabrand]

The problem I see here is "asking your wife"
NO NO NO
There is a good reason the brain of male and female is ALWAYS different.

You realize there are female domainers too, right?

 

[HotKey]

@HotKey thanks for an interesting thread. I just went over your portfolio with great interest and checked all your domain names.

If you have problems with renewal fees, the best way is to trim your portfolio. Get rid of some names.

You have some good names, but there are many names which will just eat your money, and they have not many chances to sell. I hope you understand I say it in order to help, not to personally criticize you or your domain names. I have some bad names in my portfolio as well, and I am not going to renew them.

Well you're preaching to the choir on that one Warrior; trimming. And that is my trimmed-down collection! maybe I took off the fat from the wrong end? Will revisit.

I do appreciate you taking a stroll through my names, a pleasant surprise, and thank you for the feedback. I admit there are some domains I still have that are merely "fanciful" without huge expectations, but renewals on them are practically negligible.

But for those that don't already, take note: culling domains is a constant practice, not just one and done. Perceptions on a domain name can change a year or two later, and they may lose their initial luster. There is nothing that binds us to renewals other than our own will.

Adding new names is also a constant practice, as Recons mentioned. I do enjoy having a sounding board outside my realm of domaining, as @Bob Hawkes aptly pointed out

Having someone to bounce ideas off, even if they don't agree, is a plus I would argue. Second set of eyes, even if totally outside domaining, helpful.

because these kinds of perspectives can be a sobering lens. I quite enjoy it actually, even more satisfying when there's no denying a great domain name and my wife has no choice but to give an acquiescent "hmph!"

And of course as @RogueWriter pointed out, the best justification to a dn investment and a lift to a better-half's demeanor; a change in the colour of your bank account; from red to black. I don;t think you should ever give up on your dream though, just because it isn't shared by someone we love. It's probably quite common for most domainers to be the only in their family to "get it". The important thing is that they trust you enough to carry on.

**

Have really enjoyed all the contributions thus far- thank you guys and gals.

 

[johnn]

You realize there are female domainers too, right?

Sorry I am new here.

 

[Brands.International]

@HotKey thanks for an interesting thread. I just went over your portfolio with great interest and checked all your domain names.

If you have problems with renewal fees, the best way is to trim your portfolio. Get rid of some names.

You have some good names, but there are many names which will just eat your money, and they have not many chances to sell. I hope you understand I say it in order to help, not to personally criticize you or your domain names. I have some bad names in my portfolio as well, and I am not going to renew them.

Maybe you can do as I did earlier this year, here - it is not a shame to ask other people what they think is bad, no matter how big "PRO" you are. Some people here will ridicule you for that but ignore the house trolls. So after you will say goodbye to most of your bad names, you can buy again some new good names (but with caution). Basically you should get few VERY GOOD NAMES with low renewal fees, and sit on them, treat them as long term investment (your pension investment), do not rush to sell cheaply - the value will grow in time.

Particularly new gTLDs are very difficult to get correctly because there is so much complexity. But it definitely can be done

 

[Recons.Com]

I am adding 300-500 names a month. So, not waiting to sell the ones I already have.

But...

There is a wisdom to her words. I'd just rephrase from "sell the ones you have" to "make sure everything you have a properly set for maximum possible success".

In my case, I really need to take 2-3 months break from buying to focus on properly listing the names on my site and improving its conversion.

The dilemma though is that buying good names is a gradual process. I can't buy 500 names on a day like some other classes of inventory. They have to be grabbed as they come, drop, are offered etc. for the better quality.

There are good gems regularly out there, but just a few a day I can find. Like, bought Glassmanor.com in closeouts. It is a town of 18000 people in Maryland, US. Some others, I grabbed in last few days are InitialPublic.com (for IPO), TheAreas.com, ProtectorHub.com, QualityOnes.com, DomainsTechnology.com, Depositovo.com, BizCab.com, Fontize.com, Loveter.com, Baikers.com, FameAdvisors.com, Tobakko.com, BraveBunch.com, NationalDemocrat.com, BodSol.com, Cohosters.com, Printity.com, JoinChampions.com, Tokenns.com, Topmost.org, BestRenewable.com, WorldsVisa.com, FresnoMetro.com etc.

It is a true dilemma, until I could write a program that I could teach to choose those kind of names for me and just focus on the sales aspect. But until then outsourcing listing, logos, development etc. is more straightforward and easier to outsource.

 

[james2002]

My wife says the same thing. I have about 600 domains and it is about $6000-7000 per year for renewal. I may drop a few of them or liquidate them.

Domains are not the same as real estate, I have bought 7-9 properties over past few years and they are better in investment but domains got higher ROI.

The land I bought for $1000 is now worth over $20,000 or so. The land I bought for $50,000 is now worth $120,000 to $200, 000. I expect it to go towards half a million mark or more due to new regeneration of the area.

 

[dombastic]

There is a good reason the brain of male and female is ALWAYS different.

Sure. But she still can distinguish between an expensive hobby and profitable business.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I have very poor hearing (true - hear very little above 150 Hz).
Sometimes it can be an advantage.
Bob

 

[HotKey]

great post @garptrader , thanks!

Instead I have 3 children, a dog, 270 odd domains and a website soon to be launched

Funny what a sounding board does to a person....

That's what it's all about- and if the site is any of our business, plz share when ready!
I use my kids too as sounding boards, btw.. it's like a glimpse into the future.

@AK85 if you're crazy, than so are we and that's makes it all normal.

There is a major lack of liquidity and only time brings max value to quality domains.

Selling a domain before you buy another is not possible with average sell through rates.
I mean you can register 100 domains, sell (1) for $3K and more than triple your money.

You don't need to sell every domain you own. It is very possible to make a massive profit with only a handful of winners.
Brad

I agree, and as always bang on Mugford. Thanks. It can be a conundrum when it comes to buying decisions, particularly if sales are lagging, and that one investment with a quicker turnaround plus a decent roi makes all the difference in keeping some of those carrying costs. I think the key is recognizing which names are DOA vs flowering time, while recognizing each name carries its own and not necessarily reflective of your current sell-through results.

 

[Domains Ted]

Suppose a company has four divisions. 01. Tender Department 02. Design Department 03. Finance Department 04. Projects Department.

If one division does not function well the company will fall.
In the same way that your purchasing department and your selling division differ, you have to focus more on the selling department ...

 

[johnn]

The problem I see here is "asking your wife"
NO NO NO
There is a good reason the brain of male and female is ALWAYS different.

 

[johnn]

 

[HotKey]

Next time she discusses buying more clothing ask her to sell the stuff she will never wear but holds onto just in case... See how that goes. Good luck.

That might have castrational.. err catastrophic consequenses, where a visit to the "sounding board" would quickly turn into a visit to the "chopping block"..yikes

He runs a plumbing and HVAC company, and sees large job contracts, so he realizes what businesses will pay for the right domain when it brings value.

She's in the teaching profession, so you know what they say..when you've got a hammer, everything looks like a nail. (Guess for us it be more like, when you're a domainer, everything you see looks like a name.) Re. for domain investors, bouncing ideas off the right people; I like that and makes a lot of sense too. This forum for me is exactly that.

 

[branding]

She likely already knows.. they can read minds too.

Some might say they can even control minds too. I never bought into that conspiracy untill she made me buy a Prius instead of a Jeep.

 

[WatchDogue]

We have had domain names since 1996 and my wife and I have always " worked together "
on acquisitions, accepting / rejecting offers, pricing names and, the all important, thinning of the herd.

And as importantly we have worked together on where to buy names and the sales platforms to use for selling names.

Today we discussed 5 names my pseudo-creative brain recognized as: must have - can't miss - high value - soon to be in incredible demand domain names and, her common sense and wisdom prevailed and we reg. just 1 of the 5. ( Maybe it was a mercy reg. and she was feeling sorry for me.)

So yes, I have a terrific sounding board who is very experienced with domains and she uses that elusive ingredient necessary to maintain an ok portfolio, logic.

 

[robinnx]

my wife doesn't know that I'm domaining yet, I'm new to domaining and actually very bad domainer. I bought 66 useless domains in 4 months and sold only two of them making a win of a 550$. (more than half of what I spend for all the 66 domain)
I'm actually keeping it secret until I make it a solid win
and not buying anything else until I manage to sell half my domains this year for whatever price I get.

my wife pretty smart and she is right 50% of the time.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

It is an interesting topic for a thread, @HotKey.

I see some sense in both sides of argument. I like to be frugal and cautious and see validity to an approach that one invests from sales already made, gradually growing worth, not necessarily numbers, in a portfolio.

That said, if one wants to have any sort of regular sales, or establish an authoritative presence as having significant holdings in an area, then one needs to have an inventory.

I think partly also it comes down to whether there is a strong motivation for a particular acquisition, such as an opportunity to purchase well below worth or a niche that seems destined to take off and delay will mean no opportunities left.

Having someone to bounce ideas off, even if they don't agree, is a plus I would argue. Second set of eyes, even if totally outside domaining, helpful.

Best wishes for success, everyone.

Bob