Rick unleashed on Auctions….Wrap up


Morning folks!!

Interesting that out of the 3 part series that the #3 post had
the most readers. #1 sets things up, the meat of the posts are in post #2 and
that was the least read. Go figure.

I had a very constructive conversation with Moniker yesterday
as well. I think they get it. They know what they need to do and I am confident
that they heard the message. I hope every auction house heard it. We are really
coming to a pivotal moment in time.

See while Howard and I host the auctions at T.R.A.F.F.I.C., we don't
run the auctions. So it is not like we can snap our fingers and change things.
But we sure as hell can influence the direction and this is the best way to do
it at this important moment.

With that in mind let me announce that there will only be two auctions in Silicon
Valley. Moniker will have the Premiere spot and be joined by Rick Latona
Auctions. Both know what is on the line. Both know that this is an opportunity
for each. Both know what you and I know. There is a healthy competition that has
formed here and both companies know how much is at stake. That competition will
save the day.

Domainers still have their role. Stop sending hundreds of
domains for review. Send a few that are with comprehensive info. Do you think
anyone really wants to go thru a list of 100 or 1000 domains? Do you really
think that increases your chances of getting a domain in the live auction? If
you really think a domain belongs in the LIVE part of the auction then stats
should go without even saying. This is a monumental job to begin with so it's
really time to do this the right way.

The key as I explained in the posts is to focus on quality
domains. There will be more quality domains changing hands in the next year or
two than ever before. Some for incredible prices. Incredibly expensive and
incredibly cheap. Recessions are good for pawn shops and even better for auction
houses. If we are not prepared for so many great domains coming to market we
will all miss out.

People notice I have not bought any domains lately. That is
very true. And there is a reason. We are coming into a period where your money
is about to have great buying power. But timing is everything. Circumstance is
everything else. Combined they equal opportunity.

In closing, all I can say is that we as an industry have to
take a step back. A deep breath. We have to strengthen our weak points and
reinforce the strong. The center of the industry is not growing. The peripheral
parts are. The professionals are in danger of being drowned out by the new
masses that follow no rules and have no boundaries. We see many companies
getting weaker. We will also see many companies getting stronger.

The financial chaos we are in upsets business as usual. That
is what creates the opportunity. That is why we are in a time where things will
change so fast that you will think 2009 was 10 years long. But it will fly by
and with it will fly away the opportunity. So pay keen attention. This is a
period to dare to do something great. Dare to come out of 2009 stronger than
when it began. For me, getting stronger is adding key domains to my
portfolio.
Post #1
Post #2
Post #3

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Rick Unleashed on Auctions….Part 3

Part 3


End users will NEVER come to the domain auction in mass. Never. They will
come one project, one need, one domain at a time. So you can't come to an
industry auction and expect end user prices. Each auction house is doing what
they can and each domainer must do what they can if they want to bring the end
user to the table. It takes legwork and it is not easy to do.


At the end of the day we are speculators and collectors and developers.
Nothing makes me happier than to buy a really prime domain name. But we have to
be real. If I want to sell candy.com to a wholesale audience I can't ask a
retail end user price. I can try and get millions for Candy.com from an end
user, but if I am going to wholesale the domain to domainers, I have to get very
realistic on the price. It's a different arena.


The domain owner that wants to sell should not assume low stats will scare
somebody off. When I bought Property.com I got the stats. Not exact. But I saw
there was life. While everyone else is worried about 2x, 3x, 10x, I bought the
domain with x in the HUNDREDS of years. Literally. No joke. Because stats are
just one element in my valuation. In time I got it down to under 100 years. Then
down to 80 years. 50 years, 25 years. 10 years. 7 years. In the future it could
be annually and perhaps less than that.


So if I see a domain making $3 a month I can still calculate a return.
Don't tell me what to factor in or how much weight to give it. That is why so
few really have a handle on valuations. I see domains selling for $100k that
should sell for $1k and I see domains for $1k that are worth $100k.


As I indicated, this is still just a number of thoughts. There are holes in
those thoughts. They are purposely there. This is the beginning of a discussion
and a massive change not the end. I reserve my right to append to this post and
amend. All I know is we can do much better and as an industry it is time to
demand it. Just like reality hit the real estate market, reality will hit the
domain market. You can own all the crap and really walk away with nothing. You
can own one great domain and build an empire.


It is not in anyone's best interest to see any auction fail or have poor
results. I don't have all the answers. I can just throw on the table as many
elements as possible and start domainers and auction houses thinking. So the
spirit of this is to share how I see it to anyone who is willing to listen.
Willing to try a different way because there is strong evidence that we are
getting off the trail. Too may elements are either missing or are just over the
top. It isn't about having a 200 domain auction. It is about having 200 domains
that are qualified to be auctioned. Better to have 125 quality domains then to
force 200 and know 75 are junkers like that 53 Chevy.


Sorry for the long series of posts. Many of you won't make it this far. But
I wanted to get this off my chest for a long time and this was the right time to
do it. The most meaningful time.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Rick Unleashed on Auctions….Part 2

Part #2


I am sick of falling asleep in the auctions. I am sick of the hype without
the substance. Domainers bare some responsibility. Stop submitting domains with
no stats. NO STATS = NO RESERVE! If folks don't want to provide stats then folks
should understand that auctions are not the proper route. Plus no reserve does
not mean 'No value.' It just means that it is going to sell right then and there
for what the market deems is a fair price.


1. Forget what the auctioneer tells you is the proper way to handle bidding
at an auction. He is wrong and I will reveal why in a moment. Not every
commodity being auctioned off works the same. But for starters, starting at a
low but reasonable number engages more people as opposed to trying to get the
'Price' right out of the gate. Even if I were to target that domain to buy, why
would I?? Why would anyone? If not a single peer will pay the opening bid THAT
says a lot. It says you are overpaying the market value in almost all cases. Why
make an overpriced bid? May as well wait until after the auction and make a deal
at a lower price. So you don't need an auctioneer if he won't run the auction
for DOMAINS. Not houses, not art, not jewelry, not collectibles.....Domains!


2. If you have a domain and it is priced over $10k it MUST include stats of
some sort. If not, then there should be no reserve. Simple as that. Alexa
numbers are not stats. Tell me how many unique visitors it got last month and
how much it made. That isn't asking anything other than 'Is there an engine in
that car?' If you want to sell the domain stop being scared to release stats. A
domain with 100 monthly visitors may have great value to someone because you can
grow that 100. It is infinitely harder to grow from zero.


3. Start low. On a $50k domain maybe $10k. If nobody is willing to bid
$10k, move on and do it quickly. If someone does bid $10k don't waste everyone's
time looking for $10,500 or even $11k. You should go to $15k. Point is the
increments are important. It builds a foundation of bidders and THAT creates
excitement and a better chance of a sale.



When 4 people bid $10,000 on a domain it create a 'Floor.' A Value. So then
the $50k becomes less of a risk. If 4 are bidding $40k you have an idea that
others see value as well. That gives people confidence to bid it up higher
because the true value comes to the surface. Even if the domain does not sell
and the top bid is $22k, the seller can come back next auction and instead of
$50k, he may be at $25k and that may be a different outcome. If many people bid
at $40k I realize I can buy that domain at $50k and likely have customers at
$40k. Then the sale is not a $50k RISK. It becomes a $10K risk and that is a
HUGE incentive to buy. It's a huge difference. It's a confidence builder in a
world that has yet to put much confidence in domains.


4. Reserves should not be announced before the auction. Loose price
categories are fine. 'Under $10,000' '$10k-$25k', '$25k-$50k', $50k-$100k'
$100k-$250k' $250k-$500k, $500k-$1M, $1M-$2M, $2M-$5M. Does not have to look
exactly that way, but it is a better guideline.


'No reserve' domains can even open up with a minimum starting bid. That is
the way you do it if you want to start the auction at the reserve price. But
those have to be less than $5000. It does not work on the higher end domains as
was the original motivation for this post.


5. Bidders create value. They are the true valuations of the worth of a
domain assuming you have a qualified audience. Walking away with not so much as
a REAL valuation is really shortsighted. I even believe records should be
memorialized to show the high bid of each domain.


Not showing reserves will help eliminate 'Show bidding.' What is 'Show
bidding?' It is when you bid high on a domain that you know what the reserve is
but don't go to the reserve with the only motive to look like a big shot in
front of everyone. In other words, let's say you have a domain on the block with
a $10 million reserve. The bidder bids $9M knowing there is no way they would
buy it at that level and knowing there is no way the seller will sell at that
level. I know some that do this over and over again and without advertising the
reserve in advance eliminates this problem and these showoffs can take it
somewhere else.


6. Stop telling me how great a domain is. Show me the damn stats and stop
the BS! Tell me how many visitors last month. If it is zero, then what justifies
the price to wholesalers if they can't buy and get a 2x, 5x, 10x return? Alexa
is NOT stats. Google is NOT stats. If you are not prepared to share stats, you
are not prepared to sell the domain name. We are wholesalers not end users.


7. Great domains at reasonable prices will always sell. Computer.com and
Camera.com would still sell today even in this market. Great domains are great
domains in any market.


There are so many more points to make. I probably have not done an adequate
job of articulating everything I am thinking. It is difficult to explain. It is
a big subject with many subcategories. But I hope this opens up the
conversation. I don't have all the answers but I sure as hell know when
something is not working properly. We don't have the luxury of getting it wrong
in the future. Way too much time has already been wasted on crap that won't sell
and prices that make you chuckle with disbelief. I will post Part #3 soon

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


Rick Unleashed on Auctions….Part 1



Rick unleashed on the auctions.


Part 1 of 3 so far


Ok, fasten your seat belts, I have seen enough and now it is time to speak
out. I gave you a preview yesterday. Today I will include the rest of the first part. I will be covering quite a bit in this series. So what I have not mentioned here will be mentioned on the other parts. I did this as one post and realized it was just too long for people to sit and read. Each of these posts are a bit lengthy. So bare with me as I try and tackle this.


'When you have a $20,000 reserve and the opening bid is $20,000 that is no
auction, That is a PRICE
TAG!! It's nonsense! It's a waste of time and likely did not
return the seller the best return if any at all nor did it create any bids other
than perhaps one. But you don't need an auction or an auctioneer for that one
bid, you need a cash register! Auctions are about momentum, defining value and
sales. Now it is time to do the auctions the right way and I feel pretty
qualified to speak out on this.'
Times are way too dire to worry about
ruffling feathers of some auctioneer who knows nothing about domains and tells a
qualified audience just how great each one is regardless of the quality. EVERY
auctioneer is guilty of this so I am not singling out anyone. So get ready for a
post that will change the game and shine a light on the deficiencies.


So since it was Howard's idea to have the domain auctions and my idea on
how to make them meaningful and Monte's execution, I think it is time to speak
out. We don't have the luxury of screwing up this year.


Let me start with saying this will be hard for me to define in words even
tho the vision I have is crystal clear. It may also take me several posts to
clarify things. I look at the live auctions first as a bidder and attendee
sitting in the audience and then as someone involved behind the scenes. But
sitting in the audience has the trump card because I, like you, are the
customer. I don't like falling asleep at auctions. I don't even like being in
the room for the entire auction. So that is where I am at as a bidder. They are
long and boring. So I believe that the auctions need to understand this and keep
it exciting. I mean imagine a car auction with beautiful show cars one after
another. It is exciting. Now throw in a rusted 53 chevy that is all ripped apart
followed by 6 other junkers like that and that is what a domain auction REALLY
looks like. Ya think the excitement level is going to remain high? Ya think
people will bid. Ya think people will pay attention? Ya think people will
believe how pretty that chevy is? WAKE UP!!


This series of posts will run all over the place because the mistakes that are being
made are numerous and they are compounding and the results speak for themselves.
Sell the sizzle not the steak. The first lesson of business. Create excitement.
You do that by having quality domains. You do that with having domains that are
sought after by a number of people. You do that by NOT INSULTING YOUR AUDIENCE
with crap and telling them how it is the best thing since ice cream followed by
199 more that are even better. Give it a rest.



I want a great auction and that can only happen with great domain names and
MAJOR modifications. There have never been so many quality domains out there for
such bargains and that list is growing every day. People want income domains and
people that own income domains want to cash some of them out. So timing is about
to be perfect. That is what happens in an economic downturn. Auctions heat up.
But you can't have an auction the way they continue to be run and expect them to
be successful. Times have changed, the audience has matured and it is time to adapt to those changes or we will continue down the current path of decline. I will post Part 2 soon.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Rick unleashed on the Auctions. Just a Preview….

Morning folks!!


I am going to post a blistering commentary on the domain auctions this coming week. Here is the tip of the iceberg and the thing that set me off among many others:

'When you have a $20,000 reserve and the opening bid is
$20,000 that is no auction, That is a PRICE TAG!! It's nonsense! It's a waste
of time and likely did not return the seller the best return if any at all nor did it create any bids other than perhaps one. But you don't need an auction or an auctioneer for that one bid, you need a cash register! Auctions are about momentum, defining value and sales. Now it is time to do the auctions the right way and I
feel pretty qualified to speak out on this.'
Times are way too dire to worry about ruffling feathers of some auctioneer who knows nothing about domains and tells a qualified audience just how great each one is regardless of the quality. EVERY auctioneer is guilty of this so I am not singling out anyone. So get ready for a post that will change the game and shine a light on the deficiencies.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

.


Do you Really Think Outside the Box? Can you define it?

Morning folks!!

'It's not so bad now and the storm won't be terrible.' Does that mean the captain of a ship does not have life
preservers on board, life rafts and an evacuation plan?

'The sky is clear and the sun is shining.' Does that mean the captain does not check the
weather forecast?

'Some are predicting it will miss us completely.' Does that mean that you
don't continue to check the weather forecast?

'My ship is in great shape and I am not worried.' Does that mean the captain does not need a crew? Does it mean something can't fail at a critical time? Does it mean the captain should not be prepared for as many pitfalls as possible. Does it mean he should carry no spare parts or emergency flares?

The point is nobody is smart enough to predict how bad things will get with
any certainty or even if they will get that bad. So you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It's
your job. Stick your tongue out to that tornado heading your way. But if it
injures a loved one do you think your attitude may change?

I have 2 motorcycle helmets at home. I have no motorcycle. Everyone laughs at me. But they can
laugh. I am prepared. I know when a tornado strikes or during a hurricane that the #1 cause of death
is head injury. Do you think I am going to apologize for being prepared?
Laughter comes with the territory. They laughed much harder when I announced I
had bought 18 domains at $100 a pop. They must have laughed their asses off when
the first guy started carrying a spare tire with his brand new car.
I am building a new house. It has a 'Safe Room.' Better to have one when the house is built than wishing for one when you need it. It doesn't require much money. It requires preparation and forethought. I hope I never have to use it. But I learned long ago in life that hoping and crossing ones fingers doesn't have much power.

So being ahead of the masses comes with ridicule. But who cares, that
ridicule comes from the masses and that is why they stay the masses. You can't
think out of the box when your entire life is being a prisoner inside that box.
Conform with others. Welcome to the box. Don't make waves. Welcome to the box.
Don't do this and don't do that because someone may think this or may think
that. Welcome to the box. Cave into peer pressure. Welcome to the box.

Want to be successful? Learn to use your middle finger when you hear the
BS. Learn to tune it out. Learn to feel sorry for those that are trapped. Take
the ridicule as fuel. Take the laughter as incentive. Take the sneers as a badge
of success. Just don't ever conform to their standards or you too will be
trapped. The gravitational pull of the box is so strong, it is a full time job
just to stay free of that orbit. I'll close with this: 'It's never right to do
wrong and it is never wrong to do right' or is it an 'Eye for an eye?' One of them says, 'Welcome to the box.'

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

It’s all about the INCOME!

Morning Folks!!
My dad who would have been over 100 years old once told me a story
that I have never forgotten. It was a simple story. It was during the
depression. Everyone was unemployed. The only food you would eat is what you may
have stolen or won in a craps game in the alley. It was a really tough time.
Comparing today to that is really not on the mark. My dad told me about one guy
who lived ok during that time. He would rent places for pennies. A couple
pennies here, a few pennies there. All day he would collect those pennies. What
separated him was income. No matter how small, active income is your single best
hedge against what is coming. Not Cash, not gold, not silver, not oil.
Income!


Now that even domainers are taking this crisis seriously there is much talk
about investing in gold, buying foreign currency and alike. If governments begin
to lose control some very ugly things can happen. Things I won't even write but
you sure as hell can't stop me from thinking about.

The best hedge against everything we are about to go thru is INCOME. Income
trumps dollars saved. Lots of people have lost many millions in the
last few months. I am hearing many stories about filthy rich people that are
months away from being on the street. These are real stories and they are not
isolated.

Lean and mean is the way to survive. All recurring bills that are not
needed should be canceled. Any overhead that you can cut turns a liability into
income and that translates to more buying power and a stronger position. There is nobody that knows how all this will manifest itself. We are
still just entering very dangerous waters. The full fury of the storm has yet to
hit. The only way to survive and thrive is to be a few steps ahead of things.
Have income that comes in at the worst of times. If that spigot shuts down,
collapse is not far behind.

Have a GREAT Day
Rick Schwartz

Toxic Domains and Pablo Picasso

Morning Folks!!
We have heard about toxic assets that the banks have on their books, this
is about toxic domains that domainers have on their books. Domains that are liabilities, not assets. I have long said that
the FIRST domain you buy is the most important. So if you had the chance to
start over again right now would you do it? Would you do it better?

Well you have that opportunity right here, right now. Forget about
yesterday's failures and focus on today's success. The first thing is to STOP.
Stop and take a deep breath. Stop and then start again but believe it is your
first domain. Believe this is the most important purchase ever. Believe this is
so important that you can't screw up. Believe you have to work for the next 30
days just to find it. Believe it, do it, repeat it. Leave the failures of
yesterday behind. Start anew. Build that side of the equation up to balance the
other half. You don't need thousands. You need dozens. Walk away from this
downturn with real quality. You can buy art from an unknown and pay whatever.
But if you have an opportunity to buy a Picasso, the rewards will be much
greater. The satisfaction will be much greater. You will find just a few
Picasso's will trump walls full of art. Buildings full of art.

Accumulate $$$ and in 2009 focus on a Picasso. They will be out there. They
will be on sale. The value will always be there and that Picasso will be
priceless in time. So for those that say they came to the game late, opportunity
is coming your way. Circumstance will allow you to buy a Picasso. But first, you
must know what a Picasso is.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

T.R.A.F.F.I.C. presents”Industry Shake up and Wake up”

Good Afternoon Folks!!
I don't usually post the contents of what I send out to our TRAFFIC mailing list. However some snippets are out there and the subject matter at Silicon Valley will affect everyone in the industry so I think I will post for all to see in full so is does not get spun too far from the intent. This is a pivotal moment in the evolution of our industry. I have not publicized this before because I wanted the other shows to do what they do and focus on what they want. Then we could come and articulate what we have in store for Silicon Valley and beyond and how this will move everyone forward and help our bottom lines. This is a serious show for serious times.
Good Afternoon Folks!


We didn't want to bother you again until we announce the
schedule next month. However, I can tell you that we are not
working on business as usual. We are working on presentations that will
lead to changing the dynamics of the entire industry. We will focus
much of our attention on traffic that takes up space and eats
advertisers dollars but is so poor that all domains are devalued and so
are our earnings. Yet, many are selling this traffic that Can't Really
Add Profits(C.R.A.P.) and the cost to any professional domainer
sending bona fide type in traffic is high. No matter how you spin it a
dollar earned from CRAP is a dollar right out of YOUR pocket. I think
when we meet head-to-head with GOOGLE on stage and you and I create a
dialog, you will hear it right from the horse's mouth. THAT'S WHEN you
might just understand just how much this activity is costing you and
me. If you are not looking for higher payouts, stay home. But I am
telling you THIS is the point in time to engage. We are doing our job,
but others are getting OUR MONEY! How long do you want to remain
passive? How long do you want your earnings to continue to erode?!


We have seen companies come and go now. Some quite large. Some
left destruction in their wake. Those focusing on trademarks and other
schemes and garbage traffic should be eliminated. If not, our way of
earning will continue to erode as GOOGLE's customer base for the domain
channel shrinks instead of expanding as it should. Don't take my word,
listen to the words right from Google. Folks with really good traffic
need to pay attention and learn how to isolate our traffic from the
garbage traffic. We know the conversions on type ins. Nobody can touch
it. But those numbers just get watered down when they mix in the CRAP.
There are so many advertisers that opt-out of the domain channel and
the ONLY reason is the CRAP they end up paying for. It hurts you, me
and Google plus it destroys future business.
TRAFFIC
means business and we are going to shine the spotlight on those
companies that are putting all of us at risk and costing us more than
you might imagine. If you want to get the most out of your legitimate
traffic it is time to expose those that are eating up the commissions
and at the same time leaving the advertiser little to show for their
money. This results in an entire industry losing its customer base
simply due to abuse. It is time to do what should have been done a long
time ago. Professional domainers with pure traffic need to separate
themselves from those with CRAP and Silicon Valley is the right place
to do it. Let adveretisers hear just how serious we take it. If we turn
a blind eye, we are no better than those with traffic that does not
convert to sales.
In addition we are going to have more networking opportunities than ever
before. A much looser schedule. Seminars will be limited unlike
previous shows and we will have just 2 auctions. We'll have some great
parties and the best food ever, but I will be the first to admit that
it won't be our focus. There is work to do and $$$ to be earned. We
don't do this for our health. We do it to move everyone forward. The
more oars in the water, the quicker we move. We have an opportunity to
demonstrate just how serious we are and why folks outside our channel
should pay attention and take a second look at what we do. A chance to
distance ourselves from the 'Cybersquatter' tag that some deserve but
professionals like us do not.
Now let's focus across the pond to TRAFFIC in Amsterdam.


We have decided to extend the deadline for the discounted
admissions for TRAFFIC ccTLDs until February 28. If you sign up now,
you can save yourself $500. Space is limited to 400 attendees.
Seriously, this looks like it is going to sell out so don't come to me
if you missed your chance to get admission tickets to the event. Rick
Latona and his crew are doing a bang up job on this show and there are
some big announcements still to come.
This is the first show of its kind! It is completely and totally
dedicated to the ccTLD market, and we have a lot of really great things
planned. We have speakers from the major ccTLDs committed and 3 days of
seminars, dinners, and lavish parties to attend.
If you have any interest
in ccTLDs this is the show NOT to miss this year! More information can be found
by going to www.targetedtraffic.com/cctlds
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz


PS: Just a note.....We have extended the group rates for Silicon Valley until tomorrow at 5PM.


Social Networks are Big, but are they Profitable?

Morning folks!!

Anytime you can accumulate large groups of people there is
money to be made. The more focused they are, the more money you could/should
make. I always use real world parallels to find unknown answers on the Internet.
For example. I use Yankee Stadium as a test. They fill the place with 50,000
people that pay to be there. All I want is to own the concessions in the stadium.
I want to sell them food and jackets and pennants and future tickets and beer
and anything else I can sell a 'Captive' audience.

The more people you have in that 'Captive' audience and the
more focused they are the more dollars you can mine. The more sales you can
make.

So back to the net. I think this concept is so simple and
elementary that few understand it. Without SALES there is no business. Show me a
business with no sales and marketing in their arsenal and I will show you a
business that will be out of business. EVERYONE MUST be a salesman. There is no
choice in business. You must sell. Don't sell and you won't eat. Most learn very
quickly. But most also don't know any techniques to selling. Don't know a sale
when they see it. Don't understand the concept of creating or closing that sale.

So until these social networking sites become George Foreman
or Ron Popeil type sales people, they will be extracting just a tiny fraction of
what otherwise can be mined.

The biggest gap on the Internet remains the lack of
understanding of how a sale is made. That actually is more important than
developing. You don't really have to develop a site. You need to develop sales
machines. Cash registers. Checkout stands. You can use other peoples businesses.
Just like Yankee Stadium. I don't need a damn baseball team to make lots of $$$.
I don't even have to own the stadium. I don't even have to build the stadium.
The land alone is my ticket.

How do you explain that you have this piece of land and for
some mystical reason 50,000 people a day flock to this piece and they are all
interested in Major League Baseball?? How do you tell the Steinbrenner that this
is a great place to build a ballpark? A place where you can guarantee that every
game will have every seat filled? Here have it! I just want the concession
stands when you build it.

So what does this have to do with Social Networks? Nothing.
Everything. The future unfolds one mystical piece at a time. It's like a puzzle
you try and figure out. It is hard at the beginning, but at the POINT that you
figure it out the answers come gushing out like an exploding
volcano.

We are soon going to witness such an event. The economic
crisis HELPS accelerate that eventuality. The one thing domain owners are the
worst at is being patient. Patience is the key to this treasure. It was the key
in 1995 and it is the key today. That puzzle out there is getting closer to
being fulfilled. It will happen so abruptly it may be hard to believe. There
will be a tipping point followed by a stampede. But I am telling you one thing, focus on meaningful domains. I think some folks are chasing shadows with many domains I see
out there. I believe we are entering a period that will give folks one last chance to buy really good domains at reasonable prices. In the next few months domains that would not ordinarily come to market will come and they will be priced to move. My advice, be patient and target the best domain you can afford to buy. You should walk away from this recession with at least a few gems. Gems you can point to and say you bought during the darkest of times. Circumstance will bring opportunity to those that are patient and know what to look for. Don't rush. I would say a 1 year window starting in the months ahead. So be patient, determined and focus on true quality. The way to quality is to insist on some stats and learn whether they are real or inflated. Better yet, learn to estimate traffic on a domain. The only reason I ever ask for stats is to see if they are selling me a bag of smoke. I know what the traffic on that domain is before I even ask. When it does not match I need to find out why. Many unknown brokers do the pump and dump. So knowing before you even ask is the real key. No traffic, no stats = limited FACE value if any at all. What was ok to invest in last year is a liability today. Most folks continue to buy liabilities instead of assets. That dog won't hunt in what we are about to go through.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz