Thoughts on deleted domains

[CustardTank]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to get into the domaining industry, as a hobby at first with the possibility of taking a more serious stance towards it.

I have been reading as many resources as I can and also scoping out potential domains and seeking advice on them.

I have been checking ExpiredDomains.net for deleted .com domains, but is the general consensus that it's very hard to find a winner on that list? If they have been checking the list when it drops every day, but as these are deleted domains that means that they have been through the "expiring stage" and no one has backordered them or snapped them up. Does this mean that the majority of them are worthless?

Can you turn a profit buying deleted domains or do you have to be extremely lucky?

Thanks in advance.

CustardTank

 

[Kate]

Very good domains seldom drop nowadays.
Or they are not allowed to drop, they are auctioned off by the registrars (prerelease domains). You can get them, but there is competition. If the domain ends up selling at end user price, it's hard to make a profit thereafter.

But there are still good prerelease domains slipping through the cracks.

The other option is to buy straight from owner.
Identify good domains that are unused and buy them from their owners. Tedious job because domain holders know when they own good domains or they tend to overestimate value.

 

[richface]

CustardTank, Unless you have extreme good luck you rarely find gems in the deleted list, To be honest you "Might" find a few to flip for a few hundred bucks but even so competition for these names are tough if you check the traffic alone to expireddomains.net you will know what I Mean.

Best way is to buy domains from the after market place eg. Godaddy auctions, name drive etc, But it takes money to make money so hope you got
a few bucks saved. Domaining is hard and flipping domains for high dollars is heavily based on quality keywords and LUCK.

 

[Name Trader]

You have to be extremely lucky. Competition is extremely tough on th emost desirable domains.

 

[RazorNF]

Agree with what everyone is saying.

Good domains rarely delete. Even GoDaddy keeps dropping the BIN price down for expiring domains that get no bids, until it gets to a bargain basement price.

And as sdsinc mentioned, some do go unnoticed and fall through the cracks every now and then.

 

[CustardTank]

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciated.

I sort of figured that the chances of a decent domain slipping through are very unlikely. I suppose the only thing you might find are brandable, pronounceable words that people may be interested in.

So generally speaking domainers stick to domain auctions? Is there a preferred method of finding them or is it just a case of looking at godaddy, sedo etc. Sorry for the basic questions!

CustardTank

 

[Kate]

You need to diversify sources.

Domains listed at Sedo with a BIN and Godaddy closeouts are also worth a look.
But there is a lot of coal and few nuggets
Tens of thousands of domain are deleted every day, and you have the lists of expiring (pre-redemption) domains from registrars like Godaddy.
Obviously, it's difficult for one single person to keep track of everything

What one can do is write scripts to spot and filter domains of interest, according to your criteria. Automate things as much as you can. For example, placing a bid too early can draw unwanted attention. But you can script an 'autobid'. So even when you are asleep you can still take part in the action.

The drops are still worth exploring, in fact you can find okay domains if you want to develop them. If you pick wisely, you will still be making $$$ sales from time to time. But you are 15 years late at this game for the jackpot.
Domaining is very competitive these days.

Personally I prefer prerelease domains, occasionally a few private purchases.

 

[CustardTank]

Thanks for the great insight sdinc.

You say that it's possible to write scripts that spot domains of interest based on filters. Is this what the majority of people these days do? How would one even begin to create such a script? Or is it a case of paying someone to do it.

Thanks again

 

[infmoney]

I like the Godaddy closeouts. I just bought a domain the other day for $17(including renewal) and have had a high xxx offer on it.

You just have to search through loads of crap to find that one domain you can flip.

 

[CustardTank]

Congratulations on the nice find Did you get an offer from an end user you contacted or did they come to you?

What are GoDaddy closeouts? Apologies for my lack of knowledge.

Thanks again to all the replies, really appreciate it.

Kind Regards,

CustardTank

 

[alien51]

If you think like an End-User, you'll find a couple of nice domains in the drop pool every now and then.

 

[maksimfa]

If you think like an End-User, you'll find a couple of nice domains in the drop pool every now and then.

THIS!

I originally found this site looking at domains... found a few gems for me as an end user last night on the name.com expired domain list. they are in the financial field, and I can either develop them myself for my business expansion into the state... or I can easily sell it to any of the financial professionals in Texas.

Just browsed some auctions and unless I am missing something, as an end user... I see absolutely no value in the high prices some of these insensible domains are bringing. In fact, going to go through my list of domains I never developed and throw them up.

 

[Name Trader]

If you are looking at acquiring expired domains before they drop you should be looking at GoDaddy, NameJet, SnapNames auction houses.

 

[CustardTank]

If you think like an End-User, you'll find a couple of nice domains in the drop pool every now and then.

Sound advice!

So generally speaking you need alot of luck and eyes of a hawk to spot the gems in the deleted domains list.

 

[richface]

Avoid Brandable domains and always have a target buyer in mind before buying any domain. When I first started out I registered 300 domains in bulk without any thought process and couldn't flip the whole lot for $100 at the end.
But with common sense and Luck combined you are sure to succeed and also do not forget your competitors there are "Millions" of domains listed across the web and less than 1 percent of these sell every year. This biz is certainly not easy so prepare for tough times and a long wait.

Take care.

Sound advice!

So generally speaking you need alot of luck and eyes of a hawk to spot the gems in the deleted domains list.

 

[CustardTank]

Thanks for the advice Richface, really appreciate it.

It seems like GD Closeouts are a good place to luck, they aren't expensive and you might spot a winner. I have limited my self to spending $20 on domains which I have already spent. Once I turn an initial profit it will all be reinvested in more domains. I don't want to reg any names that take my fancy when there is still so much more to learn.

 

[Name Trader]

The problem is looking at the auctions when you've spent your budget already is dicey because what happens when you see a must have bargain domain which you simply cannot resist buying? Boom! Over budget. You would be much better off spending your time looking for end users to sell your domain too.

 

[Kenny]

The problem is looking at the auctions when you've spent your budget already is dicey because what happens when you see a must have bargain domain which you simply cannot resist buying? Boom! Over budget. You would be much better off spending your time looking for end users to sell your domain too.

Best advice yet!!!!

:wave: Hey Stu

CustardTank,
You are def asking the right questions, which makes it easy to help you with answers.
Good luck!

Peace, Cyberian

 

[Name Trader]

This is a bit of a long read but well worth it. http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/68798-how-to-find-potential-end-users.html

 

[CustardTank]

Thanks for the advice Cyberian and Stub!

You are definitely right about looking at auctions when you've already spent your budget, and as such I have stopped doing so Instead I've been building up my outreach list for the domains I have, and have been grinding my way through that End User thread. Some fantastic info in there but it really is a long read!