debate Some domains are not for sale - is that even true?

[katerleonid]

Some domains are not for sale - is that even true?
I don’t know why HP decided to let go of dec.com, the 5th domain name ever registered (.com). But I do know that back in 2014, Paul Kocher had this message on his website (yes, he bought dec.com and redirect to his website):

“If you arrived from somewhere else, please note that my domain names are not for sale (except for exceptional charitable contributions).”

Today, that message is gone, and it made me wonder:
If some people collect expensive paintings, cars, buildings, or land... do others collect memorable domain names?

Paul still has several domains redirecting to his page.domain, including cute.com and others.

 

[Eric Lyon]

Some say that "Everything has a price"... What that price is to motivate a sale/acquisition is different for everyone.

Experiments like The Mug Experiment by Richard Thaler and the Stuff on eBay Project by Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn demonstrate that the perceived value of an item is highly subjective, showing that people's willingness to buy or sell is influenced by factors like ownership, context, and storytelling, effectively revealing that everyone has a price, even if it's a price they are unaware of until presented with the right situation.

For context:

Social experiment 1:

Social experiment 2:

When you think of applying the same principles or narrative to domains (Making them look or feel premium, when they aren't), what comes to mind?

 

[katerleonid]

Thanks for sharing, Eric. This reminded me of a marketing trick most people were unaware of.

When I was selling romantic books (my ex-wife’s books), she had a big series of Christmas-themed titles. They sold very well during the winter, but I was also selling them in the summer.

Clients often asked me, “Who do you think buys Christmas books in the summer?”

I think it all comes down to context. Like you said, buying is also connected to storytelling, people buy anything, anytime. They just need the right context.

Back in 2014, DEC.com had a banner saying “Domains not for sale.”

Today? That banner’s gone.

What changed?

 

[Eric Lyon]

Back in 2014, DEC.com had a banner saying “Domains not for sale.”

Today? That banner’s gone.

What changed?

I think that falls under: "even if it's a price they are unaware of until presented with the right situation".

The right situation triggered it, whether it be unexpected bills, avoiding bankcruptcy, in need of quick liquid capital to reinvest into another venture, a one-time opportunity to buy a property arose, etc...

 

[Vertibox]

I could not watch the first video - too many "err's", the poor sound and his rambling. When you speak in public, you need to speak differently from what most people speak like and this guy just doesn't do that.

The other two are good examples of the idea of value and how it can (and is) manipulated by commerce.

 

[katerleonid]

Exactly, Eric. I also believe that sometimes people say “not for sale” because they actually want to attract offers indirectly. Think about it - when we’re trying to sell a house that nobody seems interested in, saying “for sale” doesn’t get much attention. But when we say “not for sale,” suddenly, some might be interested. Instant attention.

 

[Vertibox]

Some domains are not for sale - is that even true?

It is true. However, some are not for sale for a period of time (could be several years or decades) or until an unsolicited ridiculous offer comes along (say $25m) to which the owner may respond to.

I do not know any people who do this, but I am sure there are people who hold some names because those names are just so good, akin to like you say, rare paintings, other art, rare cars, various objects and artefacts, and who have no intention of ever selling.

 

[katerleonid]

@Vertibox - your comment got me thinking, unfortunately, I forgot who he was, but I remember researching some .ai domains and finding one owned by a guy who sold his company for $80 million a few years ago. I doubt even an offer of a million or two for his .ai domain would convince him to sell. But I believe there are others, billionaires like Saylor or even Dharmesh, who could easily turn down much higher offers if the timing isn’t right.

 

[Future Sensors]

It is true. However, some are not for sale for a period of time (could be several years or decades) or until an unsolicited ridiculous offer comes along (say $25m) to which the owner may respond to.

I do not know any people who do this, but I am sure there are people who hold some names because those names are just so good, akin to like you say, rare paintings, other art, rare cars, various objects and artefacts, and who have no intention of ever selling.

Here's a prime example:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/not-for-sale-landing-page.1246161/#post-8341489

 

[katerleonid]

Good example, a similar case to iPhone.com.

 

[SpareDomains]

I love that Payless video.

If your domain is low quality you can list is on every forum, aftermarket etc.. and hear crickets. If your domain is premium you can put a message on the domain not for sale, don't email us, go away, etc... and the offers will still come in.

Some really mean the message I believe as they are...
Beyond financially secure
Have development plans for the domain
Recent acquisition their not ready to part with yet, need to spend some time with domain first, sounds weird but true it's a new toy their not ready to part with yet.
Truthfully don't want sales today but circumstances can change that, bad financial situation appears, better investment opportunity or dumb money appears.

While I might not agree 100% everything has a price common sense is common sense and if you toss enough cash at a smart rich guy eventually the guy has to give serious consideration to the offer.

 

[nicenic]

Absolutely, katerleonid. Some domains become digital collectibles, valued more for legacy and identity than liquidity.

 

[AEProgram]

I don't know who that person is, but when I see someone say a property or domain is not for sale unless it is a large amount for some charity, I hear virtue signaling . You could just say "this domain is for sale for 1 million and privately donate whatever you want. You could also say "to buy this name you have to donate 75k to the following charities and it can be done via escrow."

I think every domain has a price. You could technically buy godaddy.com if you have 35 billion (twice the market cap).

Even if you are a collector, you still have a price even if you say I will never sell something.

You can never disprove that everything has a price unless you actually offer someone an amount for something. When I see people say "my uncle will never sell his house even if you offer him a billion dollars." Did anyone seriously offer a billion dollars?

There is a X rated joke about everything has a price but I will share a G rated version.

A guy walks into an art gallery and spots this ancient painting hanging on the wall. He says to the owner, “Hey, I’ll give you $500 for that painting. I need something sturdy to scoop up my dog’s poop.”

The owner’s face turns red. “Excuse me? That painting has been in my family for 700 years! It’s a priceless heirloom! I would never sell it, especially for that!”

The guy shrugs and says, “Alright, how about $5,000?”

The owner gasps. “What is wrong with you?! I wouldn’t sell it for a million dollars, and I certainly wouldn’t let it be used to clean up after your dog!”

The man nods thoughtfully, then says, “Okay. How about one billion dollars?”

The owner freezes. You can practically hear his ancestors face-palming in the afterlife. Finally, he mutters, “...well, for a billion dollars, I will sell it.”

The guy smiles and says, “Great. Now that we’ve established that you’re willing to sell it and shit on all your ancestors, let’s negotiate.”

A lot of domain brokers are hired after a company wasn't getting anywhere with a domain owner. Good brokers know how to buy names from people and companies that have so much money that they don't even care to respond.

 

[Vertibox]

Recent acquisition their not ready to part with yet, need to spend some time with domain first, sounds weird but true it's a new toy their not ready to part with yet.

Bolded words should be "they're" (they are). Their means "belonging to", such as their stuff, their car, their house, their dog, etc...
This seems to be a common mistake in modern times.

 

[katerleonid]

@AEProgram Yes, everything is for sale.

 

[MKA]

"Not for sale" is just another way of saying "not for sale...for what would be considered a reasonable price."

Usually what ends up happening is that premium domains end up in the hands of the people that want them the most, so a lot of people are not inclined to sell the domain for it's market value (whether that's liquidation value or end-user value).

 

[Miver]

I think every domain has a price

That's not technically correct.
You can evaluate whatever you want but if it's not for sale, it's not for sale and that's it [ and Yes, I believe it applies to any domain not for sale too ].
So, who care about that price if a domain is not for sale?
On the other hand you are almost right:
An asking price of $10trillions for a domain that The Market evaluate $1k, sounds like Not for sale, isn't it?
So, let's say that your sentence is almost true:
every domain could have a price, but it doesn't mean that with that money you can buy that domain, if is not for sale.