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This train has probably left. Domaining... as in starting right now from scratch.

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I think it's too late for someone to start domaining these days.

( Yeah, I know a few might eventually succeed - but that'll be quite rare, I think. )

I mean, what are the odds now for someone who has no skills but just the will to try it?

I started domaining just a few years ago. But then, it was still the real bonanza. Whatever you had, it sold. Price high, price low, nevertheless it sold. That's how I made it into profit in my third year, gradually improving.

Auctions were cheap, domains were cheaper, drops were full of juice. Closeouts, good stuff still falling through the net for us to grab.

Not anymore. 2022 came and passed.

Everything is overpriced now, people probably holding stuff waiting for better times OR for future plans, who knows. And yeah it's clear that you can't make a living when buying domains retail price from the market. You might recoup the monies in a few years, who knows, but it's too risky. And you'll have the money locked in it. And unless you have the $ to buy few high-value names, you are going to also burn money in renewals.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. This isn't about me. I'm alright, and at least in portfolio quality I'm definitely seeing betterment. And yeah, it's also not about the top investors who are still rolling cash although the numbers have diminished a little lately.

It's about someone new, willing to take the plunge and start today. I really don't see it to happen. The sales squeeze means that growing portfolio in the first place from $500 and some beginners luck ain't going to work anymore.

You need a serious budget to start with. And some itch to see it all spent soon...? And you need to make that budget triple at least; as for the next few years you're going to burn through it like there's no tomorrow. And after those years, maybe then, you're going to finally see the end of the tunnel that is the current market and if you have improved enough, then maybe, just maybe you'll see some return on all this hard work, money spent and risk taken.

I look at these guys and dunno if I should encourage them or tell them what they are getting into, and what are the odds.

Your thoughts?
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
You have the choice to believe it is too late or to believe that it is not. Drive/dedication will determine your success.
 
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( Yeah, I know a few might eventually succeed - but that'll be quite rare, I think. )
That's with most things tho.

You want to get into domaining, most will fail.

You want to get into affiliate marketing, most will fail.

You want to get into being a YouTuber/influencer, most will fail.

You want to start any type of business, most will fail.

A nice budget helps but if you don't know what you're doing, that can be easily wiped out.

You can have a small budget, learn the game, do your homework, make smart buys, make some money, reinvest and grow slowly.

Some people post, I work hard, do a lot of work/research but they simply might not be that bright, if we're being honest. They just don't pick things up, they don't grow.

I think a combo of hard work, being smart, learning from your mistakes, you can make it.
 
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We're now living in the world of NDA agreements, fake reported sales, etc. Expired auctions are affected. Expiry streams of some registrars or resellers are affected: published expiry process may not be in place for some domains, as the domains are "mystically" moved to particular domainers /underground deals/.
It was not the case in 200x's. Now it is...
The most important difference imo.
 
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The only chance to succeed for newbies is to know exact future trends, else it's a Bingo game.
I got into this journey cause I know something, I did not sell a thing but I had offers, this tells me those who made the offers, they feel the unknown aura of those names. After I let the dogs out, I will sell them like Hot-Dogs. :ROFL:
 
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Almost every economic difficulty has been multiplied because of the pandemic and then the Ukraine - Russia war. IMHO, this impacted domaining industry heavily.

However, domainers with proper knowledge of how domaining works, decent understanding of current trends and good ability to predict near future trends will still succeed, even if they've just started.
 
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It is a market with domains trading and money flowing every day. If you get to know the market very well there are plenty of opportunities today if you know how to spot them.

10 years ago, people wished they stared 10 years earlier than that. I predict in 10 years from now people will wish they got started in domains today.
 
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Well.... sure enough in the early days the grass was greener and the chicks were younger, too...

It's not too late of course to start dominating nowadays, it's just tougher, but not nearly impossible to succeed. The idea of ''don't come here'' comes from the simple fact that many strategies that worked 5 years ago are not working today. But others do. It's just about constantly learning and adjusting.

If you want to open a coffee kiosk in your town, lots of people will tell you the same thing - ''don't'' - many places to drink coffee, people prepare it at home, tough markets, large competition, small margins etc. But it's all the matter of choosing the right place, the right product (coffee), right pricing, right service, right attitude. Same with domaining.
 
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There is always deals no matter what the asset or market. Just have to be creative.
 
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If I had to start all over again I would scan thru the 100K names that drop everyday. I have no doubt I could find 2-10 names a day to hreg. Let's say I only find 1 a day to hreg. No problem. I would buy it then immediately look for buyers and email and/or cold call them for the rest of the day and until the next days drop then repeat the same process. So every day I'm in for $10 and attempting to flip each name for at least $500 and go as low as $100 if needed. Super low risk and could even be done while holding a full time job (using all your free time). The only question is how badly someone wants it. Eventually it can grow into it's own fulltime job with buyers coming to you..
 
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It was already hard for (then) newcomers like Doron Vermaat, Logan Flatt, Mark Levine, Nikul and Swetha, yet they've all managed to succeed.

Now if one talks about the possibility of a newbie successfully acquiring and selling 1-word .coms and LLL / LLLL names soon after starting, then that's more unrealistic (unless they already have a large budget in the tens of thousands for such acquisitions).
 
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It was already hard for (then) newcomers like Doron Vermaat, Logan Flatt, Mark Levine, Nikul and Swetha, yet they've all managed to succeed.

Now if one talks about the possibility of a newbie successfully acquiring and selling 1-word .coms and LLL / LLLL names soon after starting, then that's more unrealistic (unless they already have a large budget in the tens of thousands for such acquisitions).

There are nuances in what I've posted that might need a bit of further detail here.

For example. The budget is now a must. And a significant one, 5-figures at least if you ask me. That's different from before. Few years ago you could grow it organically over several years. But not anymore.

The math doesn't add up anymore. Also the sources have dried up. Not for pros, of course, but for a beginner? Yeah, chances are slim to none.

Side note this is my third day in a row, with no names captured at drop. This has never happened before, and to me, it tells a story. Anyway.

Domainers here who made a good living before, that I've talked to, now have their boat taking water. Simply put, at this time they just hope to keep as much as possible of their portfolios, until better times arrive. Replacing with far better names? That's tough when everything is overpriced AND your sales are down as well.

Domaining, like stocks, is growth-driven.

In times of growth, we thrive. In times of recession, we don't. I've already encountered many folks here who cut portfolios down, and simply hoping to ride these murky waters with what's left.

Those names ... many will still be valuable later, once this period passes. But right now, many are probably a weight that drags you down to the bottom of the lake. And they can't keep them. So portfolios will be trim to the lowest level possible, based on cash available. Both from sales and, perhaps, even your own savings... if you know that name has a future and are willing to bet on it.

It is true one can start a business anytime. It is also true that there are opportunities even in negative growth times. This has been said a lot here, and I definitely agree. But what differs now, is the likelihood, the chance of getting it right, and the percentage of those who might eventually succeed. That number is trimmed down a lot right now.

What I am saying is that, again, the math doesn't check out anymore - for most beginners. And might not check out for the next few years as far as I can tell. Or get worse, who knows.

If I'd start today, to be honest I would likely not be able to make it to see the light at the end of the tunnel, financially speaking.

Also. It's easy to speak from our position of domainers with experience. But I see these fellows trying, and I know they don't stand a chance. That has also changed. The chance was in just a couple years ago, you only had to see through the names and figure out the process right. Not anymore, if you ask me.
 
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There are nuances in what I've posted that might need a bit of further detail here.

For example. The budget is now a must. And a significant one, 5-figures at least if you ask me. That's different from before. Few years ago you could grow it organically over several years. But not anymore.

The math doesn't add up anymore. Also the sources have dried up. Not for pros, of course, but for a beginner? Yeah, chances are slim to none.

Side note this is my third day in a row, with no names captured at drop. This has never happened before, and to me, it tells a story. Anyway.

Domainers here who made a good living before, that I've talked to, now have their boat taking water. Simply put, at this time they just hope to keep as much as possible of their portfolios, until better times arrive. Replacing with far better names? That's tough when everything is overpriced AND your sales are down as well.

Domaining, like stocks, is growth-driven.

In times of growth, we thrive. In times of recession, we don't. I've already encountered many folks here who cut portfolios down, and simply hoping to ride these murky waters with what's left.

Those names ... many will still be valuable later, once this period passes. But right now, many are probably a weight that drags you down to the bottom of the lake. And they can't keep them. So portfolios will be trim to the lowest level possible, based on cash available. Both from sales and, perhaps, even your own savings... if you know that name has a future and are willing to bet on it.

It is true one can start a business anytime. It is also true that there are opportunities even in negative growth times. This has been said a lot here, and I definitely agree. But what differs now, is the likelihood, the chance of getting it right, and the percentage of those who might eventually succeed. That number is trimmed down a lot right now.

What I am saying is that, again, the math doesn't check out anymore - for most beginners. And might not check out for the next few years as far as I can tell. Or get worse, who knows.

If I'd start today, to be honest I would likely not be able to make it to see the light at the end of the tunnel, financially speaking.

Also. It's easy to speak from our position of domainers with experience. But I see these fellows trying, and I know they don't stand a chance. That has also changed. The chance was in just a couple years ago, you only had to see through the names and figure out the process right. Not anymore, if you ask me.
What's true (and something that gets ignored amidst all the talk if sales) is funding renewals.
Unless one has a small portfolio / huge cash reserves to renew virtually everything, names inevitably get dropped.
 
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For example. The budget is now a must. And a significant one, 5-figures at least if you ask me. That's different from before. Few years ago you could grow it organically over several years. But not anymore.

The math doesn't add up anymore.
If the math doesn't add up, then it doesn't matter if you have a 5-figure budget. You will not be profitable.

As you can probably tell, I don't agree. If you have the right personality traits, you can still succeed on a 4-figure budget.
 
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If the math doesn't add up, then it doesn't matter if you have a 5-figure budget. You will not be profitable.

As you can probably tell, I don't agree. If you have the right personality traits, you can still succeed on a 4-figure budget.
Budget matters, because you'll have funds to burn before you get profitable.

Otherwise, no chance.
 
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By math not adding up, I thought you meant cost of purchases + renewals > sales revenue.
 
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I would argue that you can succeed as a newbie today like you could succeed as a newbie 10 years ago. Yes, the names available 10 years ago would have been great to hold today but those where priced that way 10 years ago because the demand for them mirrored the interest in them. Todays low end names will for sure contain tomorrows mid to high-end names (some at least). You will always be joining the party too late unless you are first at the party (and then you will most likely be called a fool scooping up all assets no one else desires).

The domain business for me is about buying and selling. Buy cheap and sell expensive (or at least buy and sell for a higher price). Eventually it will not be a question about the price of a single name but rather the turnover one can generate and the profits of that (more premium names makes this easier in terms of time spent vs. profit made).

Making a reference to the real world. The most successful food establishment in the world McDonald's makes great money on many small transactions. Gordon Ramsay (famous chef) sells slightly more expensive steaks but still will not make the same money bottom line - why? Turnover based on higher number of transactions. Slim margins calls for higher turnover rate. And to all haters here on the forum, yes I know that there are many more McDonalds restaurants than Ramsay has restaurants in the world - that is not my point here ;)

As @DigiNames said, it is a market with huge dollar turnover every day - of course there is money to be made if you learn to master that marketplace.

I started with 500$ myself 2 years ago and have very very few (less than a handful) retail domain sales myself. But I built my portfolio over the past two years with a turnover strategy and can now withdraw a small XXX$ sum every month as additional pocket money on top of the repaid investment.

There are many ways to make it in this industry. End of the day, it is your profit bottom line that will count - not the names you hold. Everyone has a chance to make profit no matter when you join the party but your way there will for sure need to be adapted to the reality you enter into.
 
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It is never too late if you learn the right way:
Forget about these nonsense suggestions:
- Godaddy/Estibot appraisals
- Name is taken in 1,000 extensions
- Backlinks
- BB BP SH approved
- Stay away from TM names
- etc...
Just ask yourself one simple question: What type of website can you develop for the name?
 
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By math not adding up, I thought you meant cost of purchases + renewals > sales revenue.
Yeah, but that you can pretty quick figure up with a 4-fig budget. So on that part, yes you are correct.

Look, to make it more clear. I always saw this from a business standpoint. ( Consider it a work induced collateral damage if you want, but sometimes it helps. )

When I started, that's the path I have chosen. I knew I'm going to burn money. But I also felt I can improve. So I burnt fast to profit in 2 years from starting. Made like 30% loss in the first year, broke even in the second, went profitable the third. But I did have that - a 5-figure budget.

Such a budget can still make a difference right now for a beginner. You spend it over say 3 years or whatever, stretch it, learn, improve, gather some names in the process. Once you're out on the other side, yes you might have a chance.

Without it, yes the math doesn't add up anymore and again you are correct, sales would exceed costs in most cases.

Edit: Just a note, in my case burning that cash from the beginning was not emotiona. But an assumed decision, projected, measured and even after the first year with the loss in hand I knew I'm going to succeed at this. The math was clear and it was working, just needed the time and money.
 
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It is never too late if you learn the right way:
Forget about these nonsense suggestions:
- Godaddy/Estibot appraisals
- Name is taken in 1,000 extensions
- Backlinks
- BB BP SH approved
- Stay away from TM names
- etc...
Just ask yourself one simple question: What type of website can you develop for the name?
Developing is a different path if you ask me. That is an evergreen one I guess.
 
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I think anyone can dabble. That's one of the great things about domaining. There is always this feeling of hope even with a very small portfolio. I remember my first sale over 15 years ago with a 5 domain portfolio. It was whatsmydog.com and sold for $4,500. I was beyond excited and bought an old sailboat with the money.

Anyone can dabble in this business. For it to become your main business is another matter. You need to be ready to spend 5 - 6 figures / year and devote 20+ hrs / week.
 
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This question
Just ask yourself one simple question: What type of website can you develop for the name?

means "Do I have an end user to buy the name?.
It does not mean that I am going to develop the name into a website.
If the name is not make sense to develop into a website ==> No end user ==> No buyer!
 
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I would argue that you can succeed as a newbie today like you could succeed as a newbie 10 years ago. Yes, the names available 10 years ago would have been great to hold today but those where priced that way 10 years ago because the demand for them mirrored the interest in them. Todays low end names will for sure contain tomorrows mid to high-end names (some at least). You will always be joining the party too late unless you are first at the party (and then you will most likely be called a fool scooping up all assets no one else desires).

The domain business for me is about buying and selling. Buy cheap and sell expensive (or at least buy and sell for a higher price). Eventually it will not be a question about the price of a single name but rather the turnover one can generate and the profits of that (more premium names makes this easier in terms of time spent vs. profit made).

Making a reference to the real world. The most successful food establishment in the world McDonald's makes great money on many small transactions. Gordon Ramsay (famous chef) sells slightly more expensive steaks but still will not make the same money bottom line - why? Turnover based on higher number of transactions. Slim margins calls for higher turnover rate. And to all haters here on the forum, yes I know that there are many more McDonalds restaurants than Ramsay has restaurants in the world - that is not my point here ;)

As @DigiNames said, it is a market with huge dollar turnover every day - of course there is money to be made if you learn to master that marketplace.

I started with 500$ myself 2 years ago and have very very few (less than a handful) retail domain sales myself. But I built my portfolio over the past two years with a turnover strategy and can now withdraw a small XXX$ sum every month as additional pocket money on top of the repaid investment.

There are many ways to make it in this industry. End of the day, it is your profit bottom line that will count - not the names you hold. Everyone has a chance to make profit no matter when you join the party but your way there will for sure need to be adapted to the reality you enter into.
Even though I don't (entirely) agree, I appreciate the comment.

On behalf of those who might read you know and feel inspired.

The question still remains though: Should you start today instead of 2 years ago, will you still be able to withdraw that low xxx range monthly? That's the part where I disagree. But yeah, if you're able to source good names and hold them, it might be worth the money later over several years.
 
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This question
Just ask yourself one simple question: What type of website can you develop for the name?

means "Do I have an end user to buy the name?.
It does not mean that I am going to develop the name into a website.
If the name is not make sense to develop into a website ==> No end user ==> No buyer!
One of the greatest common errors in this, is buying a name which might have an end buyer.

If you don't know exactly who, and for what, right there ... you're buying the wrong domain.

( Ugh, I see this too often... even daily here on NP )
 
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Even though I don't (entirely) agree, I appreciate the comment.

On behalf of those who might read you know and feel inspired.

The question still remains though: Should you start today instead of 2 years ago, will you still be able to withdraw that low xxx range monthly? That's the part where I disagree. But yeah, if you're able to source good names and hold them, it might be worth the money later over several years.

I guess we can agree on that the odds of starting 2 years ago, today, tomorrow or 5 years ago and holding on to it and making money after a few years is low whenever you started ;)
 
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