The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning folks!!

In September
2006 .mobi was released. I did not think much of the extension. Just another
dotcom wannabe.  I laughed as most are still doing and moved
on. Then about 3 weeks later another thought occurred to me and I made a quick
about face. What did I see? If I tell ya, I’d have to kill ya. But at that
moment I saw something that would allow only a very NARROW but hugely
successful amount of .mobi’s that could change the world. Besides the obvious
company names and trademarks that would be snapped up by their respective companies, I identified less than
10 generic domains that could have great value in the future. The one that led
my list was Tickets.mobi. It joined flowers.mobi which was also in the list.
Why? Well, let’s look at how these two industries were transformed by the
internet, perhaps more than most or even all others. 20 years ago when I would
call 1-800-FLOWERS, I bought stuff but would never see it. The Internet changed
that. I finally had a visual to go with the dollar amount. That transformed the
buying experience for millions. Same with tickets. Before, you would call an
800# and got what you got after cross examining the operator on the other end
of the phone line. The Internet gave me the visual and now we can all see the
exact seat we get.

So as I sat
and identified the industries that could once again be transformed by .mobi,
the list was short and narrow. But like other things, IDEAS come about and that
short and narrow list is likely to fatten up.

For example, last Tuesday night, Jim McCann said they were working on a system that you will
be able to send a “Virtual Bouquet” to someone sitting in a nightclub you might
be at. So never discount how things can be transformed by a new idea. Will that
happen at flowers.com? No.They have a separate site for that. Today a dotcom.
Tomorrow……who knows. Especially when matched up with GPS or as a default
extension. Do any of us know how this will unfold? No. But it does not stop
folks from putting blinders on and actively rooting against something. Step
back folks. Don’t be guilty of the same things others have done to you. Open minds
seize opportunities that closed minds will never see.

Now that I got the #1 .mobi I have aimed for since
day one, (Tickets.mobi) it will be interesting to see how the old guard
domainers learn I am a big .mobi fan. (No surprise for some) I see it as the
next best extension to dot com and really nobody needs to agree with me. The
more folks disagree, the more I know I am on the right track. So save the
naysaying for 5 years not 5 minutes. Then we can discuss why so many of my good
friends missed such a winner. They will just say…..”Damn, Rick was right again.”

Here is the
reality. In 5 years the domain may be worth between $0 and $60,000. It may also
be worth between $60,000 and $60 million. I decided to place my bet on the
latter. Place your bets where you may. At the end of the day, I will trust my
gut more than any other set of factors. My gut says this will be a $60,000 loss
or the single biggest payday of my life. Only had that feeling a few times before.
Porno.com, Men.com, Candy.com, Property.com, Tickets.mobi. So then the question
becomes: “Why did I buy flowers.mobi for more than tickets.mobi? The answer is
pretty simple. Flowers.mobi was the only other .mobi released that was in my
top 10 list and since tickets.mobi was not yet out there, I wanted a foot in
this door. Porn.mobi was also on the short list as is sex.mobi and some other obvious
ones. Domainers will not decide if .mobi hits or not. Businesses across the
world will decide. They may see it as a way to capture another market. Another generation. They may see things we don't see. The thing that will decide the future of .mobi is not domainers. It is businesses across the world and advertising dollars spent. 
btw, the FIRST question that Jim McCann asked me was 'What did I think
about .mobi?' I told him it is too early to tell. The answer won't reveal
itself for 3-5 years. What folks did not know when he was there is that Jim
McCann was the LONGEST domainer in the room. He started in 1992!! While others are still struggling with their initial sites and online presence, here we have Mr. Cutting Edge himself and his focus comes down to one word, 'Mobile'! Their focus for the future is the mobile, on the go, younger audience. Will that help .mobi? Stay tuned!

Have a GREAT Day
Rick Schwartz

Every once
in a while somebody will find an old post of mine and that happened this
morning. Thank you Owen! This post as you will see was written on July 4,
1998. There was no domain industry. As you can see, I am still trying to sell
the concept that the Internet was here to stay and just how important it is. So
this is an interesting perspective from nearly 10 years ago. My goodness, look
how the universe has changed in the past decade. What “Orbit” were you in a
decade ago? Think back to that time and what was different. Look how the world
has transformed itself in this decade. This is extremely timely as the new proposed law will change the life of every person that owns one or more domains if passed. We have come from total obscurity to being the #1 asset to legislate away from the current owners. Don't know what I am talking about? Read what Mike Berkens has to say after you read the following post. Now maybe folks will see the reason to support the Internet Commerce Association. 

From July
4th 1998........
Morning All!!
This is my 3rd annual July 4th post on domains.
Second on Ynot - and I believe the first was on Jonathans OLD board.
The first year they laughed me off the board
The second year they began to see what I saw
The third year I would like to show you where this 'Domain train' is
ultimately going.
First of all you MUST visualize a domain as a PHYSICAL piece of property, land,
undeveloped land.
Second you must realize that it is a MULTIDIMENSIONAL object because of
'Product branding' and WORLDWIDE address.
Third you must realize the special 'Uniqueness' ALL domains
inherently have.
Fourth......it is FREE to get to and hopefully EASY to remember and SPELL.
Fifth and MOST important, you must realize just how VALUABLE that real estate
REALLY is.
I have said one thing numerous times since I started down this path.....and 3
years later......I believe it stronger than ever!! 'The price of domains
(Electronic realestate) will go up faster than ANY other land EVER known to
man' I had made $0 at the point that I BELIEVED that statement to be true.
When I talk about domains I talk of PRIME domains. Not some of my silly
'cams' or 'gos' or 'starts' or other such veins.
(That is for down the road)  I am talking
corner properties in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, South Beach.
1 or 2 word domains that are TARGETED to a SPECIFIC group of people.
So where do I see myself at this point.......
I see myself in Times Square and I own a few corners plus a BUNCH of land on
42nd st.
When I arrived.....it was like a ghost town....it was barren and empty and MORE
than scary.
Today......I hear the sounds of a MASSIVE construction project underway. Trucks
and cranes and banging and digging and everything else you can imagine.
AND IT HAS EXPANDED!!
Those sounds are being heard in other geographic regions as well. It's not only
Manhattan!!
They have expanded to KANSAS if you were talking in domain terms, and with new
highways opening up in the form of different extensions......things get even
more interesting!
THIS is the year that the mainstream WILL figure it out. I started this journey
expecting it to be 4 or 5 years down the road before it hit. That would make my
ultimate predictions come true in the next 18 months.
So What will happen??
First of all how many of you would have imagined a year ago that the board
would have soooo many postings in references to domains....buying, selling,
trading? That IS significant.
I believe that the 'Multi national' companies of the world may begin
to see what I see. When that happens....AND IT WILL HAPPEN.....you will see a
significant amount of buying going on and the prices will go thru the roof! I
see numerous domains that will become next to priceless BECAUSE they WON'T be
for sale. THAT will cause other domain prices to rise.
Location! Location! Location!
I always believed it was a lot easier for a crummy restaurant to be successful
in a prime location with built in traffic than a GREAT restaurant that nobody
is able to find. Doesn't mean the GREAT restaurant won't be
successful.......but it DOES MEAN:
that he MUST be MUCH BETTER!
that he has to work MUCH harder!
that he has to give them a reason to go out of their way!
that he will always look down on the guy with the great location!
BUT
At some point......the GREAT restaurant may want BOTH!
The BIG money IS coming! REALLLLLLLLLLY Big!
I believe it. I believed it in 1995. And I believe it stronger on THIS July 4th
than any other!
I remember last July 4th when I said to friends and such that a company's
website address would appear in every commercial, every magazine ad, every
billboard and at some point in time will become MORE important than even their
800 number. Guess what - yes, they laughed at me. I got more than a FEW raised
eyebrows.
I would say on THIS July 4th that ANY company without a presence on the net is
LOSING BUSINESS and their competition is gaining it! It indicates a company
with little foresight and if you were an investor in one of these companies I
would say it was time to change.
Keep your eyes on Disney, Microsoft, and some OLD GIANTS, plus a few unknowns
to lead the hottest race you have EVER seen. Look at the domains Disney and
Microsoft are buying up RIGHT NOW.
The BIGGEST factor!
Let's say Sears decides to build a store in Osh Kosh......It costs them $25
million, takes them 2 years to build after 5 years of planning.
VERY SLOW......VERY EXPENSIVE!
And if they get it wrong.....Ha ha!!
Now if Sears decides to build NUMEROUS websites TARGETED at different groups of
people they could take that same $$$$ and do some SERIOUS damage on the net!
AND they can do it overnight!
WHY did I stop advertising my Dirty phone numbers in all those magazines I was
in back in 1996?
Cuz on the net I could take it and turn my money around in days and I no longer
had to wait 6-9 months to get a return!
Maybe others will come to the same conclusion......If they follow the
$$$$$......then there isn't a doubt in my mind.
Sorry for the Long and Boring post......But I LOVE tradition!!
Have a happy and SAFE 4th!!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

Just off the red-eye
flight from Vegas and today we start working on the Orlando show in May. Before
I collapse I just wanted to thank all those that came and supported T.R.A.F.F.I.C. We
had one hell of a week!

In the coming days you
will read reviews from folks that were there. The seminars focused on
Transparency and with the help of some of the top monetizers in our space, we
are on the verge of publishing our standards that will help define things and
make it easier to compare different programs.

The highlight of the
show was the speech by Jim McCann of 1800flowers.com. What few in the room knew
when he came to give his talk was that Jim was the singles longest domain
holder in the room. A 'Domainer' since 1992. The flowers.com have
multiple websites and web businesses and they are aggressively expanding.

The surprise of the show
for many was Dr. Kevin Ham. (Ieft in picture next to Frank Schilling and myself. Picture courtesy of DNJournal.com) Kevin spoke at the very first TRAFFIC in 2004 and
has remained very quiet until a few weeks ago when he asked me for some time to
speak at TRAFFIC which I was happy to agree to. He told me 'There was
something he needed to say.' That was all I needed to know because as many
were about to find out, Kevin was much deeper than just the 2.0 story.

Kevin got up early on
Wednesday morning and without notes, gave a MOVING 50 minute talk about things
more important in life than the almighty dollar but at the same time just how
passionate he was about reaching new goals, bigger dreams and feels like he is
barely scratching the surface. I was watching, some were close to tears.
Including Kevin. Including me. Including many. The most moving part was when he
talked about 'Value' and put things in perspective when comparing
things of value next to each other talking about the value of his children
and asked what number do you put on their value. Not even billions would come
close to their value. Money may make us comfortable, but life is short and one
has to keep things in the right order. He talked about Ben Stein and how much
his speech at the first TRAFFIC in 2004 was an inspiration as Ben talked about
spending time with your mother and father while there is still time.

Dr. Ham ended his talk
to a standing ovation. A really warm standing ovation. That only
happened three times before at TRAFFIC. The first standing
'O' was in 2004 and that too was for Kevin.

So when folks talk about
the VALUE of going to TRAFFIC, listening to Kevin was priceless. I am sure
everyone there would agree that his words were worth the price of admission 10x
over. Sometimes the biggest value is found in an unexpected place and
time.

I will let others review
the success and accomplishments of TRAFFIC X, but Howard and I walk away
knowing we gave it everything we had and hope we added value to everyone's
business and the industry in general. Like I have said since day
one.....'When you bring GREAT people together, GREAT things will
happen.'

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

In a few minutes I am off to Las Vegas and TRAFFIC. But before I go I would like to share the message that will be inside the printed show program. Whether you attend or not, it's something to readas we are going to have a very interesting 2008.
Hi Folks and Welcome to
Las Vegas and TRAFFIC WEST 2008.

This is the 13th year of
my 20 year plan. It may be a 20 year plan, but the finish line does not happen
the minute you hit 20 years. It is a process that happens over time and many
things have to fall in place for this to happen. As I see it, 2008 is THE most
pivotal year in this industry. The entire future of our space will be
determined in the next several months. If the domain industry rises to the occasion,
then the 20 year plan is right on track and it will be a great ride. If not,
the consequences won't be seen today but the ride to the 20 year mark will be
rough and unpleasant and you had better have loads of lawyers on staff.

This is the year that will
determine if your destiny is going to be in your hands or forfeit to those
predators that want what you have because the value of domains has
skyrocketed into the thousands of dollars, and in many instances in the
hundreds of thousands and even millions. Just because the market has
yet to recognize it does not mean that we can surrender what we believe
due to the ignorance of others. That ignorance will transform itself into
a monster unless folks grasp what is a natural phenomena. That is why you
have to look back at history to see what will unfold in the future. That was
why we had Steve Forbes as a speaker.  As an historian, he understands the
threats to take over our assets as has happened in the past. That is why we
will hear from Jim McCann who is a walking history and may have fought some of
the battles we are yet to see.

Some tell me I should
not say things like this. I am the most optimistic person you will
meet. That optimism does not mean I am blind to reality. Blind to threats.
Blind to bad weather just because the sun is shining today and all is well. I
know this industry is very charitable. If you want to continue to be able to
give and provide, then fortify your own livelihoods by supporting the
organization that may be the only thing between us and the predators that will
surely come to get our assets; not in the marketplace, but  rather resort
to the courtroom where they can outspend and out wait you while making your
lives miserable.

On the other front is
transparency. Payouts with no rhyme or reason. The numbers don't lie and
we are seeing things that are troubling. Like I have said several times in the
last few months....'We count our change when we give a $20 at McDonalds
and don't do the same things when BIG money is at stake. Personally, I think
that is insane and lazy and I could go on and on.

Recently someone posed
this question:

'When will all
these companies stop treating us like mindless 'traffic' and more
like 'partners' or at least offer those of us interested this respect?'

My answer:

'That's an easy one....When DOMAINERS show up and demand it. For years we have done nothing to protect
our assets. THIS is the chance to press for concrete changes. With a unified
mind and purpose, there is strength to demand transparency and
accountability.  Without it, there is no reason why any change to increase
our income should take place. Only domain owners themselves can demand their
fair share.'
So, while things are still good, we are entering some uncertain economic times.
We have real challenges and in the coming months we will see if domainers are
up to the challenge.

Thanks for coming to
TRAFFIC. Howard and I along with our wives and Ray will do everything we
can to provide the tools and relationships you need to achieve whatever dream
you carry with you. When you bring GREAT people together, GREAT things can
happen.

Rick Schwartz
CEO and Co-founder
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF DOMAIN NAME DEVELOPERS, INC

Morning folks!!

Let me give you something to chew on as we head to Las
Vegas for the 10^th T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show. These are serious articles with
serious numbers from a serious domainer that should only be read by other
serious domainers that want to understand why transparency is the key issue for
2008. If you are not a numbers guy, or real numbers scare you, then really don’t
waste your time. But if you are serious about where YOUR EARNINGS are going and
how much you are really getting of the pie, then don’t read the following links,
STUDY them! Why be interested? Not only will your earnings multiply, but the value of your domain assets will increase even more. These numbers are crunched by Michael Gilmour of Whizzbangsblog.com. He has really done a well researched and in depth expose!

Transparency = Education =  More sales = Higher payouts =Higher Margins = Higher valued assets

Parking Company Standards - Part 1
Standards - Part 2 - The journey to transparency
Standards - Part 3 - Traffic definitions and reporting
Standards - Part 4 - Current Traffic Reporting Problems
Standards - Part 5 - What's a click?
Standards - Part 6 - Do parking companies swallow clicks?
Standards - Part 7 - Definition of a click

See you in Las Vegas. Travel Safe!
Rick Schwartz
 

Morning folks!!

This is going to be another “Time Capsule” post.
This post I made on December 27, 2000 on my 5^th year on the net. You
will see I say we are entering “Phase 2.” That is particularly appropriate today
as I believe we are now beginning “Phase 3” of all this. So this post is a
little over 7 years old. The more things change, the more things stay the same.
If recollection serves me right, this post was made just a few months before
the collapse. Hope you find a tidbit of value.

“My 5 year anniversary is TODAY.
And for the record......the net is 5 years ahead of where I expected it would
be at this point in time.
Lipservice.com started this and has even survived WIPO.
The #1 question was always why aren't you building sites? Actually it wasn't
really a question, it was more of an accusation. An assault on my judgment. A
put down. Now 5 years later I can explain this, and with MATH, can prove it to
be a safer and smarter road to travel than any other I could have chosen. My
proof are all the dotcom failures laying on the side of the road.
The first year was the darkest. I felt so all alone but knew I was not. The
Internet was little more than a wasteland of 'Under construction'
signs or the first generation carcasses of a website that would remain. There
were other domain speculators that I would run into time and again. We were
mining the same mountains and the same veins at times. There were not many full
timers then. Perhaps about 12 guys that I would run into. In those days the
ONLY thing that gave me motivation to plow forward was losing a domain by just
a day or two. I knew at that point I was hot on the trail. At $100 a pop it got
expensive pretty quick. But I believed in what I was doing so strongly that I
could not stop myself. It was like a disease. I was hooked. All day....all
night. Mostly THINKING of domains that could be important pieces of property in
a few years. And where were the bills?? Netsol had not billed me for over 100
domains for MONTHS. I would pay for what I could afford and risk losing ones
that I had to wait to pay. But I did eventually pay for them all. If netsol had
not done that I doubt I would be where I am. They gave me financing and that
made the difference. Hence my respect for incompetence.
It was November of 1996 that I hooked up my first 300 domains. All adult and
all pointing to the same place. (A trick in those days that few knew could be
done). I made okay money until ONE day in March of 1997. The day I learned to
ftp and to manipulate a simple web page. THAT changed my life and my destiny!!
My first day of traffic experimentation had begun and while others made ,005 a
click or a penny a click. I made a dime a click and more. I thought my
calculator was broken. But then the checks started coming I realized my
calculator was not broken. I had indeed harnessed some very potent traffic. That
led me to the ynot board in April of 1997. A place that changed my life like
this place has hopefully changed some lives. It looked and sounded a lot like
it does here but with a few REAL geniuses and many VERY sharp individuals.
Folks I could never match. Folks that are sharper when they sleep than I am
when I am awake. WOW!! I was in awe. But I decided to work my way in and while
coming out of left field I had something to bring to the table, the most potent
traffic anyone had ever seen. It was the first time anyone called me a
'Webmaster' and I felt like I lowered all webmasters by being one
myself with NO SKILLS that a webmaster would have. My motto: 'If you can
cut and paste it, I can do it!'
The #2 question was always why don't you have employees working on this all the
time building new sites? First of all it would have been a DISTRACTION for me.
I was in a unique crossroads of life and I focused on domains like a laser
going thru a peephole. It was more important to run in directions never gone before
than to stop and invest the time where everyone else was. Besides, I understood
that things would get CHEAPER in time. It was in my best interest to move
slowly with development and run like a panther to obtain those domains to
develop.
For example when I came along $39.95/mo for an adult site was next to
impossible to get. I refused to be put on an adult server cuz of their history
of getting clogged with traffic and thus putting you out of business. So you
were lucky to get $50 a month sites. Many paid $299 A MONTH per domain. I
understood that these prices would only come down in time. Today you can get it
for free, or just a few $$$ a month. Imagine having a thousand domains and
paying $50,000 a month for hosting. I would have been out of business before I
started. So while I opened my first domain and had my first site built on this
day, it was another 11 months before I hooked up the next adult domain.
I remember when nobody believed that I got my traffic by typeins. They did not
believe that folks would type an address on the browser bar. They were great
techies, but they did not understand that when they would start to advertise a
.com on the tv that people would get there via the browser bar entry. You may
laugh at that now, but that was the sort of silly stuff I had to overcome with
LOADS of other crap. They called me names and by the time they figured out I
was right on the mark, I had bought every domain I could think of and knew it
could not be duplicated.
Bottom Line.....my way, it is not the only way. It is not the best way. But it
was my way. It worked for me. While THOUSANDS of others tanked, with THOUSANDS
of employees and BILLIONS of dollars invested by faithful stockholders it was
all wasted for they had no plan.
Bottom line.....i went thru the jungle, the desert, the doubters, the laughers,
etc etc and I am still on my campaign!! I have SURVIVED!!!!! May others have
survived too. But WE are the true warriors!!
So I toot my own horn today. I am proud of what I have accomplished and realize
it is only NOW that it TRULY begins. I knew the day I started that it would be
many years before the soup would be ready to serve.
Today is the begining of phase 2. I go into it with several hundred active
sites and about 125,000 daily unique visitors scattered among them. Now it is
time to focus on growing that traffic and linking the sites together. Most
orbit independently but that will eventually change.
5 years ago it could have cost me tens of thousands for an obsolete site. Today
for a few hundred bucks you can get state of the art site and with the
collapse, there is some real talent running around. While I still don't have a
clue how to do most things on the net I have been able to accomplish the one
thing few have done and that gives me a great advantage. I know how to turn a
profit. A footnote for most, but profit is my guiding light and everything else
is bullshit.
Build it small and make it work, growth will occur. Build it big with no
direction and you get the problems most .coms are now facing.
The turtle wins EVERY time!!!
Remember one thing.......You can have ANYTHING in this world if you REALLLLLLY
want it. Those that doubt this, they are 100% right!!
Have a GREAT 2001!!
Domain King
Wed Dec 27 07:32:52 2000  - message #284

Morning Folks!

From the New York
Times,to the Sydney Morning Herald, to the Christian Science Monitor to CNN
Money, to Fortune, Investors, LA Times, International Herald Tribune and dozens of other publications
throughout the world the domain business is set to hit center stage in 2008.
The new video on TargetedTraffic.com gives domainers something to point to that
is concrete and shows the extraordinary progress we have made.

There has already been a
barrage of headlines about domains from iReport.com sale to CNN to another
blockbuster by Moniker with a $4 million sale of the bored.com website and a collection of
other domain names. Pharmacy is on the market for $50 million. A bit on the
ambitious side but a clue to what is to come.

A perfect storm is forming and it is 13 years in
the making and counting. The slowdown of 2008 will be a dream come true for the
domain industry. When they re-evaluate where they have been, where they are and
where they are going, we will be directly in the path. The bad times are about
to bring this industry some really good times. When we talk about the
'Good old days,' We will be talking 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. So
don't forget to enjoy what you will look back on very fondly. Make it even
better by knowing what is to come. Just in a few weeks some big names have
focused on the domain industry. Even the unlikely Christian Science Monitor.
While we have been getting more and more ink since 2005 with the Business2.0
article that firmly placed the domain industry on the map, never have I seen it
like this. Can we be at the foot of Critical Mass? A $4 million domain sale is
just being reported as I write this. In addition, the TRAFFIC auction next week
is likely to provide an 8 digit result. 13 years into a 20 year plan. The pie
will soon be baked and ready to eat. We are so close, I can smell the fruit.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz.

Good evening folks!!

Below is what may be the best .mobi
domains released to date as well as a fantastic list of premium .com domain names. These domains will be auctioned off at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
in less than 2 weeks. I would expect at least 2-4 of the .mobi domains will easily break
the flowers.mobi record. I would think that Porn.mobi and Tickets.mobi will
shatter the record. I don't think we are at the point to witness a 7 figure .mobi sale however if we were going to see that, this would be where we would see it. I consider these to be two of the very best .mobi names that you can buy . Risky? You
bet. But the market for .mobi continues to be strong and I expect a very lively auction.

Here is the full list

Banks.mobi
Broadway.mobi
Doctor.mobi
Hollywood.mobi
Lottery.mobi
Naked.mobi
Porn.mobi
Property.mobi
Score.mobi
Tickets.mobi
Vegas.mobi

In addition to the .mobi
domains above, this is going to be the single best auction in the domain
business because the quality of the domains on the auction block are top notch.
Here are just a few that have been released. The rest will be out soon.

Civilwar.com
Daily.com
Meds.com
Refills.com
Baseball.net
Coed.com
Weekday.com
LifeSaver.com
AutoClassifieds.com
Medication.net
DiamondNecklace.com
DiscountTravel.com
BabyFood.com
Beverage.com
EscortServices.com
Temp.com
Trusted.com
Wife.com
Husband.com
SanJuan.com
Necklace.com
DreamVacation.com
FamilyServices.com
Fiesta.com
GrandPrize.com
Handicap.com
Homeowner.com
Mortgagerates.org
Organ.com
Transactions.com
Cognacs.com
Bourbons.com
SkiResorts.com
Affiliate.com
Trusts.com/LivingTrusts.com
Dance.com
CPC.com
LowRateMortgage.com
WomensHeatlh.com
Sleuth.com
Stereotypes.com
CreditReferences.com
SearchEngines.com
Sabbath.com
CustomerService.com
Computer.us
Bachelor.com/.net/.org
Communication.com
WeddingVows.com
Convention.net
Introduction.com
Voters.com
Dentists.net
PenisSize.com/PenisSizes.com
Web.asia
HomeVideos.com
LeatherFurniture.com
Podiatrists.com
FootDoctors.com
MiniatureGolf.com
JobOpenings.com
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

I have been very tough on appraisal services because I don't see
any that are truly qualified. I have blogged about appraisals several times.
And let me say, that appraising a domain and figuring value is a very difficult
thing. It is difficult because each domain is completely unique. Some domains
may be one dimensional while others may have many facets and are adaptable to
many companies, industries or promotions. It is difficult when you don't
know who the actual appraiser is. Do they appraise high? Do they appraise low?
Are they completely educated about domains? So a lot of
'Transparency' needs to happen here as well.

I tried an experiment and had 21 professional domain owners that I
know personally give their best shot on putting a value on 5 of my domains.
From a group of elite individuals like this it is possible to see a
picture develop and market price. I removed the names to protect their privacy.
I provided no stats whatsoever. But the numbers are the numbers and this was
done in a thoughtful manner. When I look at something like this I generally
throw out the high numbers and I throw out the low numbers. I try to focus on
the common numbers. In over 12 years on the net this was the first time I had
ever asked others for a valuation for valuations sake. See if a picture
develops for you.

Appraisal #1
Widgets.com - $350,000 - $500,000
Girls.net - $75,000 - $90,000
Candy.com - $3,000,000 - $4,000,000
Cheapest.com - $100,000 - $150,000
DailyVideo.com - $10,000 - $15,000
Appraisal #2
Widgets.com - $500K. I love this name for dev/branding/web 2.0
Girls.net - $250K. Would want to see what the .com is doing.
Candy.com - $1.5mm. Awesome premium generic. Enough said.
Cheapest.com - $50K. Not a big fan despite one word. Lots of substitutes.
DailyVideo.com - $25K. Same as above.
Appraisal #3
Widgets.com > no idea.
Girls.net > 2% of Girls.com ($4Million) $80,000
Candy.com > $2 Million.
Cheapest.com > $75K.
DailyVideo.com > $10K
Appraisal #4
Widgets.com - $400k
Girls.net - $75k
Candy.com - $3M
Cheapest.com - $60k
DailyVideo.com - $30k
Appraisal #5
Widgets.com - $1M
Girls.net - $50k
Candy.com - $2M
Cheapest.com - $100k
DailyVideo.com - $10k
Appraisal #6
Widgets.com $5,000,000.
Girls.net $ 125,000.
Candy.com $7,500,000.
Cheapest.com $ 200,000.
DailyVideo.com $ 100,000
Appraisal #7
Widgets.com - $150,000
Girls.net - $30,000
Candy.com - $3,000,000
Cheapest.com - $400,000
DailyVideo.com - $10,000
Appraisal #8
Widgets.com - $250,000
Girls.net - $35,000
Candy.com - $1,400,000
Cheapest.com - $3,000
DailyVideo.com - $2,500
Appraisal #9
Widgets.com - $10,000,000
Girls.net - $500,000
Candy.com - $5,000,000
Cheapest.com - $100,000
DailyVideo.com - $100,000
Appraisal #10
Widgets.com $1m
Girls.net $100K
Candy.com $2M
Cheapest.com $150K
DailyVideo.com $20K
Appraisal #11
End User Numbers
Widgets.com $2M
Girls.net $250K
Candy.com $4.5M
Cheapest.com $1M
DailyVideo.com $40K
Appraisal #12
Widgets.com $750,000
Girls.net $185,000
Candy.com $2,500,000
Cheapest.com $275,000
DailyVideo.com $25,000
Appraisal #13
domain - market value-end user value
Widgets.com - $225,000-$250,000
Girls.net - $40,000-$65,000
Candy.com - $800,000-$1,800,000
Cheapest.com - $75,000-$350,000
DailyVideo.com - $12,500-$35,000
Appraisal #14
domain - market value-end user
Widgets.com - $400,000-600,000
Girls.net - $10,000-15,000
Candy.com - $3,000,000-5,000,000
Cheapest.com - $35,000-50,000
DailyVideo.com - $10,000-15,000
Appraisal #15
Widgets.com - $500K
Girls.net - $100K
Candy.com - $5M
Cheapest.com - $350K
DailyVideo.com - $50K
Assumes motivated end user in right place at the right time with the right
resources.
Appraisal #16
Widgets.com
Wholesale Level 1 - $100K - $250K
Wholesale Level 2 - $250K - $500K
Retail Level 1 - $500K - $1M
Retail Level 2 - $1M - $2M 

Girls.net
Wholesale Level 1 - $50K - $75K
Wholesale Level 2 - $75K - $150K
Retail Level 1 - $150K - $250K
Retail Level 2 - $250K - $500K

Candy.com
Wholesale Level 1 - $250K - $500K
Wholesale Level 2 - $500K - $1M
Retail Level 1 - $1M - $2M
Retail Level 2 - $2M - $5M

Cheapest.com
Wholesale Level 1 - $35K - $50K
Wholesale Level 2 - $50K - $100K
Retail Level 1 - $100K - $200K
Retail Level 2 - $200K - $500K
Ultimate Dream - Perfect name for a price comparison site. Strategy would be
the entrepreneur needing a dream style domain for capital tool purposes.
DailyVideo.com
Wholesale Level 1 - $2,500 - $5K
Wholesale Level 2 - $5K - $25K
Retail Level 1 - $25K - $50K
Retail Level 2 - $50K - $75K
Appraisal #17
Widgets.com -- $700,000
Girls.net -- $80,000
Candy.com -- $1,500,000
Cheapest.com -- $50,000
DailyVideo.com -- $15,000
Appraisal #18
Widgets.com 130,000
Girls.net 45,000
Candy.com 1,300,000
Cheapest.com 40,000
DailyVideo.com 10,000
Mostly on the 'Wholesale/Investor' side IMO -
Appraisal #19
Widgets.com - $350K
Girls.net - $50K
Candy.com - $2M
Cheapest.com - $1M
DailyVideo.com - $25K
Appraisal #20
domain - market value-end user
Widgets.com -$550,000- $1,300,000
Girls.net - $70,000- $135,000
Candy.com - $600,000-$1,750,000
Cheapest.com - $95,000-$125,000
DailyVideo.com - $25,000-$45,000
Appraisal #21
Widgets.com -- $1M
Girls.net -- $200k
Candy.com -- $1.2M
Cheapest.com -- $2.8M
DailyVideo.com -- $500k

Moniker professional and paid Appraisal
Widgets.com -- $227,300
Girls.net -- $81,900
Candy.com -- $2,237,400
Cheapest.com -- $146,800
DailyVideo.com -- $23,700

What does it all mean? I don't know. That’s for you to comment on.
While the Moniker appraisals were in line with many of the others, I would not
sell at the appraised levels if I got those offers today.   

Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz

UPDATE. The following numbers have been provided by Bob Connor. Special thanks for taking the time to crunch some interesting numbers:

Here are the averages, medians (mid points), and standard deviations
(measure of how much variability) for appraisals for each of the
domains.


Widgets.com:
Average =      $1,247,348
Median =         $500,000
Std. Dev =     $2,210,824
Girls.net:
Average =        $119,452
Median =          $81,900
Std. Dev =       $105,250
Candy.com:
Average =      $2,580,974
Median =       $2,000,000
Std. Dev =     $1,635,693
Cheapest.com:
Average =        $323,948
Median =         $130,000
Std. Dev =       $589,405
DailyVideo.com:
Average =         $48,670
Median =          $23,700
Std. Dev =        $99,436