Afternoon Folks!!
It's always interesting to see editorials about books that a book reviewer never even read. So I really like the Domain Gang post from yesterday. He says things I can't.
So everyone has an opinion on the sidelines and that is their right. I value the ones from the attendees the most. TRAFFIC is about keeping the NOISE out and the BUSINESS in and I think 100% of ATTENDEES now realize why we do that and appreciate it. Everyone at TRAFFIC has a positive outlook and viewpoint on things and that is the common bond. Once you leave the confines of the TRAFFIC environment, you realize why we do it, why people come back and just how special our shows are.
Our seminars were some of the best attended seminars in all the years we have done TRAFFIC. Why? As Mike Berkens put it, 'People are looking for answers' and answers were exactly what they got. Whether it was what they see or don't see in gTLD's or Adam Dickers extraordinary seminar that gave attendees DOZENS of new ideas and new ways to make money and do real business and BUILD real businesses. I am sure in the days ahead you will hear from multiple people about their own experiences.
Declan Dunn was incredible too. He explained the FLAW in how domainers operate. We focus on a few pennies for the first sale but it is the repeat sales that have the real value and domainers don't get squat for that. We need to change how and why we do business.
I can't even tell you how many people came over to me feeling bad for those domainers that won't or can't step up to the plate because they look at it as an 'Expense' and not an 'Opportunity' or investment in themselves. It's just sad!
Just remember that 80% of folks give up in life when they don't achieve what they want when they want. Our attendees, past and present, don't give up until they either perfect what they are looking to achieve or realize it won't work and go back to refine and rethink.
Now on to the auction. Obviously we did not achieve our desired result and of course the grave dances can't wait to come out. But the grave is one we all share whether you understand that or not. So jump in.
I can only choose domains that folks want to sell and look at it through the eyes of a domainer. Fanclub.com could not get past $37,500. Is that because the domain is not worth more than that? Or is because domainers just don't have the funds or maybe they are content with their portfolios? GoldBullion.com only had a $20,000 bid.
So what domain genius wants to tell me that FanClub.com should be priced at $37,500? It's a great domain name deserving of a much higher bid than $37,500 but domainers are not buying at that level right now and that was the highest bid receiveded for that domain name. That's a real barometer whether we like it or not. Whether we agree with ot or not. That is the most a domainer will ay at this moment in time.
The market is a snapshot of things and the picture it took was not very good. While many attendees are doing well, the average domainer is not.
One again, the reason there is no online bidding is because the hotel connection is not dependable. We have NEVER been to a hotel with a dependable connection. I can't fix that. I have to deal with it or I could just imagine what folks would be saying.
So phone bidding is the way we handle it and it works. It ran flawlessly and professional and props to Ray and Kim.
The online bidding platforms themselves work well. That has not been the issue. But no matter how good the platform is, if the connection from the hotel goes up and down, and it does, no platform will or can work. When you are in a controlled location that problem is not there. However at hotels, this IS the issue. Connectivity!
As it turned out, I did not know or approve the audio feed. I heard it sucked. That illustrates my point. I can guarantee there will not be video or audio for future auctions at TRAFFIC until it is perfect and even then I doubt it is worth the effort.
You win some, you lose some. I take full responsibility and if I had to do it over again there would not be much that would be in my power to change. The market is the market and the domain market is soft. Given the same 10,000 or more domains submitted, I would choose the same ones. Let me be BLUNT. The quality of domains that so many domainers have has NO VALUE and is a liability.
Example: There is a thing called a 'Court Order'. I own CourtOrder.com. Does not have a great value but it does have meaning. Now the guy that owns OrderCourt.com thinks I would have an interest in that name. That is what I deal with. Sorry friend, that domain has NO VALUE. It means nothing. If it was 'OrderInTheCourt.com it might have some limited value. But ordercourt.com means nothing. So I love folks like my new friend Roger who sits there and says to himself something like...'My domain is better than that but Rick did not pick it.'
To that I would say, your domain is likely not as good OR your pricing makes it unattractive. And that would be why I would pick one domain over another. I could care less who owns it. I owe no favors and am free to pick what I thought might have interest to some.
It is interesting to me to see who bought what. Seasoned veterans bought most of the domains that sold. There was plenty of gold and they were able to see through it all to pick up a number of bargains. Why?? Why do they buy while others diss?
Let's look who bought. Mike Berkens, Sean Sullivan, Morgan Linton, Darren Cleveland, Gregg, McNair, Russ Goodwin, Bill Sweetman, Brain Benko, Ammar Kubba, Rick Schwartz and other well known domainers. I think I read that Adam Strong won an auction on the phone. I am awaiting the final phone bid winners so will know soon.
Combined these domainers bought 75% of all lots that sold in the auction. What did these professional veterans see that so many less seasoned domainers did not? That is the question some should be asking instead of the nonsense they spew. Think about that. Why did so many miss the winners? Why focus on what you did not like? I discount what I don't like and focus on the domains I see that have the POTENTIAL for a big payday. I buy potential.
Now this is not over. In a few years we will hear that somebody sold a domain for $100k that they bought at the 2012 TRAFFIC for $500. Why do I say this, because we have a history that proves it.
I had all types of multi-million dollar domains offered to me. And exactly WHO in our audience at this point in time was going to pony up 7 figures? What's the upside for a domainer without a strong business plan? There is none. I can tell you confidentially that one of those above would not even entertain buying a $100k domain name today and for multiple reasons.
To have a $2MM domain in the auction to 'Feel Good' or to watch somebody bid $1.5MM to showboat is a WASTE of everyone's time. Unless an owner can bring multiple bidders that are end users, ain't gonna happen. I also don't do Pre-Arranged sales to save face when an auction falls apart.
So what domain genius wants to tell me that FanClub.com should be priced at $37,500? It's a great domain name deserving of a much higher bid but domainers are not buying at that level right now. That is as high as they were willing to bid and the seller would be INSANE to sell at that level. GoldBullion.com could not get a $20,000 bid. It's not because the domain is not worth more. It is because domainers have to buy low hanging fruit right now and that is the right way to do business during times like this.
The market is a snapshot of things and the picture it took was not very good. While many attendees are doing well, the average domainer is not. Their focus now is trying to make profitable businesses out of what they already own.
I liked that we were able to keep the action moving and the boredom somewhere else. That alone to me was a great achievement and it was recognized in this blog post by Andrew Allerman who then got accused of basically sucking up to us which I think Andrew answered clearly enough in the comment section.
There are still a few deals that are alive and may be closed where the bidder on the floor was very close to the reserve and now those sellers are willing to take the lower bid. So anyone with second thoughts, can still have a shot at some of these domains.
As folks begin to arrive home you will begin to hear things first hand and not through any filter or agenda. I am sorry so many are stuck on the sidelines in the cheap seats watching the future pass them by. The only way they can feel important or feel like they are participating is to take cheap shots. Amusing and sad at the same time.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. attendees have a very special bond. Whether you go to each show or just once in a while, there is a bond that is very strong and getting stronger. It's a labor of love on our part and it is returned in more ways than I can count. Attendees really do appreciate all of our efforts and they let us know it. Howard and Barbara, Ray and Kim, Danny, Alina and myself. They know and we know and really, that's all that counts.
Rick Schwartz
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Keith
As I read your post I tend to agree that multiple factors played a hand in the outcome here. It’s surely a sign of today’s marketplace on a whole.
I’m curious if we’ll here of any closed sales which almost met reserve?
Show us the money...
FanClub.com is only worth 37.5k because thats all that was bidded for it. The only out on that is there are others out there that didn’t bid and may do an after auction deal.
If there’s better low hanging fruit out there than FanClub.com then that only reinforces the price of 37.5k.
So, the only price that matters is the price someone is willing to pay, thats 37.5k.
Yip, 37.5k all the way to the bank.
peter
Lets be fair, there were some great domains in this auction that WILL sell for good money when END USERS buy them,EG tumors.com fanclub.com, goldbullion.com,saws.com, cheaplaptops.com and
shorttermloan.com
mike
Ok, thats another cover up. If it does not work. If something is wrong, accept it it is wrong and broken and then move on to fix it.
If you dont accept it, then you are also wrong regardless you are millionaire. So coming back to the where I was about average domainers, etc, thats what make up 80 percent of the industry.
Rest 20 are your friends,who attend the auctions, and yes, traffic is about the Conference , but then DONT include the domain names.
There were some posts by you , said, oh ok, this time, it will be all sold and blah blah and 60 percent have phone bidders, another blah.
But if you are making such as DOMAIN AUCTION a part of your conference, you better be prepared.
AVERAGE domainer can not waste 2000 on the ticket where things are handled properly and if YOU ARE NOT ready to fix the problem (such as dependable connection) when someone is paying 2000 to attend the conference.
I think someone can arrange the CHEAPEST NETWORKING CONFERENCE, where 80 percent DONT MIND paying the price, which could be cut down by 60 percent.
You always tend to represent 20 percent and call everyone else PIGEONSHIT, mind you, you are now also out of my books, I will remember you as”Pigeon TRAPPER” .
Good luck , and if you cant help the 80 percent, I would say, dont waste their money on conference making it so pricey and CUT OUT the domain auctions, Because for 80 PERCENT Of us, thats make this conference a traffic auction. Otherwise, for 80 percent of us, this is meaningless.
20 percent make the ticket at 4000, they will still attend it. I am not jealous or anyway close to money you got, but your opinions are wrong about 80 percent, and stop trapping the piggeons!!
Good luck and KEEP QUOTING DOMAINGANG, now LMAO.
This is my opinion about targetedtraffic, and this is why one should I advice 80 percent to spend 2000 ON buying a domain, rather than wasting on this.
Rick Schwartz
80% of people in LIFE are mediocre and 20% excel.
That’s just a fact.
If you don’t want to be mediocre in life than it is up to you not me.
I admit, I want to surround myself with the 20% and those trying HARD to claw their way up and I do what I can to avoid the NOISE of the 80% until they learn to be constructive
.
Sorry, I don’t target the”Average” domainer other than by trying to lift them into the 20% club by changing their attitude and outlook in life. The folks that always give the extra effort and not looking for shortcuts or to get over on others.
I think most attendees would just shake their heads at your comments and feel sorry for how you look at things. Lots of folks have arranged cheap conferences and unfortunately it is an unsustainable model. If you think you can do it at 60% less, (that would be $400 because the price starts at $995 as it is RIGHT NOW for Las Vegas) then be a man and step up to the plate and show us.
Dave Wrixon
Yes, and its the 20% that speak English, so make the most of it!
rob sequin
Rick,
You did (another) great job of bringing the market to the auction.
The domains that sold, sold for MARKET VALUE.
People may bitch and moan about the market but you brought qualified, industry professionals and sat them in front of many domains.
If the seller’s were not happy with the final prices, how many of them turned down offers.
Hey people… when you only get one offer on your domain in three years or more… TAKE THE OFFER or wait another three + years for someone end user to be interested.
NONE of us will live long enough to sell all of our domains to end users. That is the simple truth… simple math.
Most of your domains are just not worth what you think they are worth.
Sell when you get an offer or bid.
E
Can you explain us, why domains like Vag*nas.co, teeny.tv, lot #191 etc got accepted?
I’m sure, there were much more better domains than submitted and not accepted.
Rick Schwartz
The one thing the 20% have in common, they don’t root for the other guys failure. They root for their success. They want you to succeed. They don’t WASTE their energy in the way that some do. They are not threatened or jealous when somebody else does well. They try and emulate it. Understand what worked. See what elements they can use.
Adam
Quoting DOMAINGANG!Come on! its really low quality blog with no valuable information for anyone. Apart from that, everyone knows that the guy has your ass licking addiction.
The Auction for many reason was not perfect. Even domains were not sold, there were still so many things which did not work properly like that guy who could not read – maybe I am wrong but most people around see it that way.
Anyway, all the best.
Shane Cultra
Rick,
There is no doubt it was a great show. A show that anybody who wants to do better in this industry should attend. The problem I see is this. You ramped up the expectations. If you want to say that you are going to show people how a real auction is done and it doesn’t live up to expectations you have to take the responsibility. You are the one who set the bar so high, not me. There were some mistakes. So what. I think the Internet connection is a legit answer. I participated in the auction. I had was a phone bidder (albeit briefly) and had a friend on the ground as well. You should want me there and if you can’t have me there set it up so I can spend some cash. I told you I had business and personal obligations that stopped me from coming. There are probably many that were in my same boat. Figure out a way to let them spend money. You are trying this exclusivity thing and I think it’s a mistake. The guys that bought are all successes. Yes they may have purchased a $100,000 name for $500 but the guy that put in that name is also a customer. A customer than at this point feels let down. You are right he is not a success. The domain provider believed in you. Believed that you were going to help him get good money for his domain. You mock him by telling him that the successful people bought his domain.
I respect you, I like your style, and I know you know what you are doing. I am merely critical because I think if somebody is going to keep blowing their own horn they better be able to take some boos when they hit a bad note. Being critical from the outside doesn’t make me the bottom 40%. It could make me an ass. But I think I’m probably saying the truth. I am not a lackey like Adam mentioned. I am the honest feedback that we all love and hate. I will be at TRAFFIC next year. I’m looking forward to it. Looking forward to it because successful people take the good and continue with it and take the bad and fix or get rid of it.
Martin
why are the pictures on 10 and 11 the same? are they the same people? Adam = shane?
Acro
Rick – Many thanks for being an inspiration and a source of endless information and wisdom over the years. And I will take our conversation this morning to the next level.
@Adam – Without a link to the ‘amazing’ work that you apparently produce, I can’t classify you as other than a no-lifer troll. Especially, since your attitude of an armchair attendee automatically disqualifies you from bitching for anything that occurred at TRAFFIC. I was there, where the f*ck were you?
Shane
Acro,
I didn’t get to go to the Superbowl either but I’m pretty comfortable saying that the Giants won.
Martin,
I was going to say the same about you and Acro
Rick Schwartz
Shane,
It is your MISREPRESENTATIONS that I have an issue with.
It’s going to take some time to untangle the motives you attribute to me.
The attitudes you are pinning me with that I never said but you decided you could put those motives out there or that I am mocking one group or another.
I am not even sure where to start because you can have an opinion based on nothing but you can’t have facts and motives and pin them on me without me responding and there are so many I have to take time to pick apart each and every point that is at odds with the facts or at odds with my motives or feelings.
That is where you whole things goes off the tracks.
I did not put you or anyone down for not attending. I know folks have lives.
You are the one making excuses and I never asked for one from you or anyone.
I don’t know where you get that from? I am happy to have you come to Vegas so I can have an eye with you like I did with Acro today.
You PRETENDING to know my HEART is offensive. Really.
“The domain provider believed in you. Believed that you were going to help him get good money for his domain. You mock him by telling him that the successful people bought his domain.”
Mocked him??? It’s a bad thing that successful domainers bought his domain? And that’s mocking them in your book? Are you kidding me? How about when I wrote on at least 2 occasions before the show that if you did not have to sell, this as the wrong time to sell. Did you forget that?
Am I mocking Owen for buying LastLaughs.com at $1100? You decide to speak for others? Come on. You are not being fair. The MARKET decides, not me, not you. Go mock the market.
I said from day ONE I would take 100% responsibility but maybe you could have held you fire until I had the OPPORTUNITY to do that!
And it was an exciting auction. And there was lots of action. And it did move fast. And it was not boring and that was one hill that we had to conquer. But I will write in much more detail in the days and weeks ahead. I just got home. I am not even unpacked. I am responding to emails that are stacked up. And I am sure I am boring everyone with all this.
John
This question got skipped over and I think it’s an important one:
“Can you explain us, why domains like Vag*nas.co, teeny.tv, lot #191 etc got accepted? I’m sure, there were much more better domains than submitted and not accepted.”
So are you saying, there weren’t better names submitted? And those are good names to you?
Tony
I don’t have a horse in this debate either way but I appreciate the candor. It’s hard to criticize other people in such a small community we call domainers. Credit should be given to those who speak their mind even if it’s not all positive.
Acro
Shane – I really don’t know what is your beef with me, especially since we actually met in TRAFFIC Las Vegas in 2010. It blows my mind that a self-professed 43 year old triathlete/marathoner behaves like a 14 year old pimply teenager, all jealous about other guys at school.
But for the last time, get over it. I’m 2 years older than you and have my own path in life.
If you don’t like DomainGang, or Acro.net or me, that’s fine, but keep it in your own pants. Stop acting as if others don’t or should not read or appreciate what I do or write. The truth is, that they do. I never chase endorsements or compliments or anything to thump my chest about, but when I do, I am very appreciative of their support. I don’t care if you don’t believe me, and success is measured by various metrics in life, one of which is ethics. You seem to need some work in that sector.
Your ego is so overblown that anything others do differently becomes an instant threat to your own acts or choices. You jump on everyone that tries to be different, and the latest”domain lists” drama is an example of that. Learn to respect others, not just the ones that beat you at something, but especially those that are simply different.
PS I am not”Martin” above and if you really want to know what was achieved at TRAFFIC, you have my cell #. Use it.
John
On a side note, I’ve seen a few mentions of the pictures by people’s names being the same. Those are just different default avatars from Typepad, nothing more.
Bob Fontaine
As an outsider looking in, reading most of your blogs on a daily basis…. it’s really a shame to see all of you burning bridges like this.
Nobody forced anyone to go anywhere.
Nobody promised anyone a rose garden.
Nobody was forced to sell, nobody was forced to buy.
Nobody claimed to be perfect.
NOTHING is perfect.
I’d hope to see you all catch your breaths, give it some time, and not allow emotions or pride to ruin relationships that have the potential to be beneficial to all sides, and folks like me, in the future.
Don’t use a shot gun when a dummy slap is called for.
Heck, without the personalities, egos and perspectives that represent this domain community, we’d be left with dimple mechanical listing & selling databases.
That would suck.
That’s my 2 cents.
cliff
Rick, you and I have spoken a number of times by email over the years. I have been investing in domains for about 9 years now. One of these days, I will actually make it to a TRAFFIC conference. haha! It has been difficult with my wife in nursing/med school and two kids at home. ;)
Shane
Rick,
I appreciate the candid response. I will leave this one alone from this point and let you take it from here. I don’t mean to put words in your mouth, that wasn’t my intention. Perhaps it was to put the words I’ve received from others into mine. There were many sellers that commented on my blog about their disappointment. Anyway. Any discussions from this point on will be directly to your email. Again, thank you for your response.
And Theo…I’m not sure, did you go to TRAFFIC? I feel like you did but you have barely mentioned it.
Rick Schwartz
“3. Part of the reason people are setting the bar so high is because Rick Schwartz keeps telling everyone he will do it better. He keeps setting a bar that he can’t jump. Quotes like this “As I have stated before, a domain investor starting off with this list would be in the top 10%-20% of the industry. Those that don’t see it that way don’t have portfolios that are better.” I applaud the effort but don’t like being told that I don’t know what I’m doing because I think Insults.tv doesn’t belong in a major auction.”
Ok Shane.
1. You bet your ass I set the bar high. It’s easy to run under the bar. I set it to the stars baby!
2. I stand by what I said but I NEVER SAID you did not know what you were doing. So when you put words in my mouth, I have to stick those words back where they belong. Cuz you are talking out of your ass again. You seem to have a habit of that Shane. With me an several others. Why? What’s with you dude? You should be above that at this stage of your life.
3. But as long as you went there. I think a guy with a portfolio that included saws.com, fanclub.com, plugin.com, amusementpark.com, bulletproofvest.com, GoldBullion.com, Tumors.com and many others that I can include would have a better portfolio than most. Give me your top 10 and let’s see if they match up Shane? Let’s call your ass out. Not cuz I want to, but I can play your game too and be an ass as well. I will hold YOU to the same standard you hold me and then I will add a few things you really did not say or believe just for drama sake. Just like you play.
So list your 10 best so we can compare! Let’s see if you have the credentials to criticize my picks. Fair enough?
4. Insults.tv has a new owner. ME. $100. I already have a partner for a JV with this $100 domain that in your judgement has no value.
So this is just picking apart one paragraph on your post so it will take me a while to work through all this. I really hate when you put motives, words and thoughts in my mouth for some ridiculous conclusion you came to. Those thoughts are on you In your mind. Not mine.
I don’t think you are a bad guy Shane. I just think you have this attitude problem that sometimes gets the better of you.
Rick Schwartz
Shane I was writing my response when you posted. They overlapped.
Email it is.
Rick Schwartz
And there is nobody anywhere more disappointed than me.
I owned this and I never disowned it.
I don’t like failing. So I keep going until I get it right.
JFS
first of all i think TRAFFIC is a neat/awesome conference, too bad i live in another continent, that makes it very difficult for me to go there =(
since i couldn’t go there, the only thing i can quantify is the auction.
to be honest i was a bit disappointed in the auction, i was expecting more, better and higher prices, but then again who wasn’t ?
wasn’t that the main reason people flooded rick’s email to get accepted in the auction? the smell of money…
“hmmm people are paying 2k for a ticket i should be selling my domain for big bucks there”
but people also forgot that the main target are domainers – meaning reseller price not end user.
in many forums people saying that every passing year the domains would be worse, i don’t believe this is true, there’s loads of awesome domains waiting to be sold and resold.
also i think insults.tv was sold very cheap, you got a nice bargain there imo.
Adam Strong
The auction flopped. It happens, and I’ve been on the crow-eating end of that before.
Have no fear though Rick, the market is not dead.
I feel I got a good deal (with Benko’s help). There’s always something hidden in ANY list.
Rick Schwartz
Adam, a flop is when you hold an auction and nobody shows up and you have to cancel it.
It did not flop for the buyers.
It did not flop for many of the sellers.
It was a domainer auction and while disappointing, it achieved several goals and that gets us closer.
The market is the market. When will folks understand that?
No domainer was going to buy a 6 or 7 figure domain in this economy and so we had virtually none. It was a down and dirty, no reserve, REAL auction with a real result whether we like it or not.
BillW
Hey Rick-
You did a commendable job organizing the auction and providing a nice mix of names. The”Monday Morning Quarterbacks” will be out in force but hopefully with some postive suggestions for next spring.
I think history will show people missed out on some great investment opportunities. It also pointed up what others have mentioned. There are too many in the domain industry who are”domain rich” but”cash poor”, or holding their cash to weather the possiblity of a continued economic storm. That may be the real story here.
I would also like to thank your phone bidding staff for doing such an excellent job. Your hard work to organize this is appreciated by the 98% who usually don’t take time to comment.
Chris
I rarely comment on blogs, but I felt I needed to chime in here…
I had 9 domains in the auction and 6 of them sold for a total of $33K. Not a bad batting average and a solid return on my investment at 440%. I also had a domain that was bid up to mid 6 figures – a good reference point for that domain.
Could I have made more money if I waited a couple of years? Yes. Do I feel mocked that some famous domainer bought my domain? Nope.
I’m sure people submitted much better domains than mine, but some of the reserves / prices people are asking out there are egregious for the current market.
Sellers: If you want your premium domains in the auction, have a reasonable market price reserve. And don’t submit your domain to an auction with a low reserve if you’re not happy to sell it at that reserve.
Buyers: if you think there weren’t enough good deals in the auction, then how is it that 75% of the lots that sold went to well known domainers? You can lead a horse to water…
Was the auction a success? For some sellers it was, including me. Apparently, for some well known buyers it was also a success. Is there room for improvement? As in life, always.
One thing is for certain, Rick puts his heart and soul into this business and tries to push the envelope for the betterment of us all. That’s more than I can say for most.
Anunt
Rick, as much as i love commenting on your blog…
you should disable the comments section completely so that you are not tempted to read ALL this crap and spend so much of your time responding to ALL this bullshit.
Rick, i know u love domaining…but reading and responding to ALL this shit is definately NOT good for your health.
You don’t need ALL this bullshit in your life…go enjoy your life with your friends and family.
Putting on a Traffic Show is hard work and very stressful…you did an excellent job Rick!
ALL the attendees had a great time…Congrats!!!
RaTHeaD
rick…
this is how i deal with shane.
SHANE, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone here is now dumber for having listened to you. i tell him that all the time but he doesn’t believe me. i think you probably screwed up here. you were talkin’ about 50 names and you ended up with 350. didn’t work… so what… you still the man.
Poor Uncle
Perhaps Steve Wynn puts it best….he and every business person he knows is sitting on their thumbs until this president is out. He confirms what I am suspecting is happening.
Bill Kara
Im amazed at home many comments have been directed to the auction in general. How does insults.tv selling for X price or X price really affect your business? If you have valuable domain its still valuable, if you have junk, unfortunately its still junk. If you wanted to buy a name at the auction, any name, for any price you would have found a way. Plain and simple. Bad feed, good feed, fast auction, slow, whatever. I assure all sellers – buyers would have found a way. Sellers didn’t put up these names at no reserves because they thought they were super valuable. They did it because they wanted to liquidate them at any price. Again, their choice with certain risks/rewards attached.
Most of the bloggers posting during the show, were not at the show. The guys at the show are still recovering hence the delay of detailed coverage. This gives the impression it wasn’t a success but give it a few days and you’ll all see the fall out, deals and general outcome of this thing.
I’m just surprised by how much these armchair attendees have missed the mark. It’s really made me rethink their aptitude towards domaining and networking in general. People that think a show must be massive in order to be valuable that’s ridiculous.
Has anyone even mentioned who was at TRAFFIC? Think about it…
Mike Berkens… owns one of the largest and most valuable portfolios in the world.
Rick Schwartz… owns one of the largest and most valuable portfolios in the world. Leading the way in cash+equity type deals.
Frank Schilling… owns one of the largest and most valuable portfolios in the world. Innovating and bring an entire net sales platform to the mass market. Leading the way into the new GTLDS as well. Calls Google, they pick up the phone.
Mike Mann… owns one of the largest and most valuable portfolios in the world, multiple exits, multiple ongoing ventures. If his companies are on Inc any more they are going to start paying him royalties.
John Ferber… Building one of the best brokerages to unlock full value of your domain names, previously made one of the worlds largest ad sale companies.
Dr. Chris Hartnett… Built one of the largest companies – ever. Owns one of the largest and most valuable portfolios in the world.
Gregg Mcnair… Will still party harder at 100 years old then you did in college.
As Im typing this more and more names are coming to mind. Does anyone posting negative comments about this show/auction realize these are the types of attendees that are standing around, having drinks, openly sharing and exchanging advice and opportunities? You think walkmydogsideways.net or whatever stupid domain selling or not selling will do anything for your business?
Save up or buy early – like right now and go to a show. You will be shocked at the value having this many Internet savvy, business savy people will do for your business, your morale, your drive and your roi.
Just don’t sit on the sidelines and talk about the stupid auction. It’s such a small part of the value TRAFFIC provides.
todd
To best understand the domain industry sometimes you have to look past yourself and your own beliefs about the industry and how you perceive it. The best way to have the best auction/conference is to let the people decide because ultimately they are the ones you have to please because they are your customers/attendees. So I suggest a running post that could be simply titled”Traffic suggestions” and let everyone involved give their ideas and opinions on what they would like to see done better because they are your true critics. I have one suggestion
1. You will without a doubt increase your attendee amount by simply having some type of payment plan for the tickets. You must remember that the majority of domainers, especially in this economy, on a whim can’t spend a $1000 to $1500 in one shot. I have heard many complain about the cost of the ticket but if you had the option to split the payment into 2,3, or 4 over the course of preset timeframe I would bet you would double your attendees by the next show. QVC got awfully rich from payment plans because it just makes sense. I am sure you could give even offer a early bird discount so you could have cash in hand already for tickets that were fully paid in advance.
I have made comments here on your blog that you have blasted me about but that has not stopped me from reading it because you do have a wealth of information to give and I respect that information even though we differ in opinion from time to time. For your own health and well being please start a”Traffic suggestion” post now while everyone is hot to give their opinion and I will promise you that you will have all the answers you are looking for and be much happier for it.
Sean Sullivan
These attacks on Rick are total BS. I had GoldBullion.com in the auction. Am I surprised that it didn’t sell, no I am not. Is it Rick’s fault, no it’s not. Would online bidding made a difference, no it wouldn’t have.
I had a six figure reserve on it and that information was known I think for the most part. What people don’t know but I’d like to mention is that (after the auction) two different parties (companies) went out of their way to find me later and proceeded to start the process of discussing acquiring the domain. I can tell you with 100% certainty that there’s ZERO chance I ever would have been connected with these two different companies if it were not for the fact that I not only had the domain in the auction but that I was also physically there.
I can also say that my company BankAds will end up doing millions in additional business in 2013 as a result of meetings that I had at this one single event. That wouldn’t have happened unless I scheduled meetings with four different companies, flown to their offices all over the US and the world and spent 10X what my total cost to attend TRAFFIC.
One other thing that I want to bring up is how much effort Rick and Howard and the rest of the TRAFFIC team put into the event. I was shocked to see that Rick got BankRate top brass to participate. They flew in from NY to speak on a panel for an hour. They have never had a presence in the domain market or any shows, but somehow Rick convinced them to attend. Most people won’t understand why that is so significant, but believe me it was.
TRAFFIC is like anything else in the business world, you have got to extract as much value from something as you possibly can. If you think you’re going to show up, hang out by the pool and then millions of dollars are going to drop into your lap, well you’re living in fantasy land and you need to grow up. People who didn’t attend, nor ever have should probably get off the sidelines and participate or just stop speculating on what should or should not have been done. It was a great event and I will be attending as many TRAFFIC events as I can.
AHEAD OF TIME
(Bob) is so correct
Nobody forced anyone to go anywhere.
Nobody promised anyone a rose garden.
Nobody was forced to sell, nobody was forced to buy.
Nobody claimed to be perfect.
NOTHING is perfect.
Rick is always looking for talented people
and is the best teacher I have ever had in my
life. We read his blog for free and the information
is life changing if you think and act like WINNER.
The only thing Rick needs to change is stop uploading
stupid comments from jealous people.
Would I pay to read Rick blog 100%
Lots of people talk SHIT!! That’s the thing I HATE
about life. I judge domainers by their portfolio and
domains they have sold in the past.
Muhammad Ali was always proving himself
and had the track record to prove it. Ricks right
fanclub.com and some other domains in the auction
are amazing. I have better domains 100% over
the years from reading Ricks blog that has helped
my portfolio and I will always treat him like FAMILY.
I could email Rick some domains now and I’m 100%
sure he would say WELL DONE. Lots of domain bloggers
have SHIT domains!!! What I’m saying is Rick very nice
successful person and I want him to relax more.
Well done with T.R.A.F.F.I.C
AlanR
Rick, most of the domainers in the 80% group don’t count so don’t listen to them! Why listen to them since they have no successes to speak of. Their negativity towards people who are successful speaks volumes of why they are still in that 80% group. They are not worth responding to so don’t waste your time on them. If they were successful, then you wouldn’t hear the negativity. The people in the 20% group are smart enough to see through the agenda of those in the 80% group who try to cut you down. There is no need to defend yourself since they are smart enough to see right through them. They know your shows are top quality so what really counts is the fact that your good reputation is secure with them! They are the ones who count and are worth listening to since they are the people who really run the domain industry. I don’t know why you don’t cut out the noise by blocking the morons! Those few are a disservice to you and the readers of this blog which I’m sure, most of your readers are in that 20% that we would rather hear from. There is still hope for a lot of those residing in the 80% group because they are the ones who will finally take charge of their destiny and join the 20% group! Congrats on such a great show!
Adam Strong
“It was disappointing” yea sorry man, like I said, I know the feeling.
As a buyer, it worked for me though. You got me there. :)
The market is the market. Correct. No arguing that either. It’s a buyers market.
There is still an active domainer/investor market buying every day over at namejet, snap and tdnam. It’s not all that bad . . . I hope, because I’m still buying.
btw. I don’t know anything about auctions where no one shows up. I’ve never been to one ;)
Louise
I read Andrew Alleman’s article and tended to agree about the auction . . . No surprise to me the lot containing, Multiscreens sold! lol
What if all the deals closed nda in cabanas before and after the scheduled meetings were added in – wouldn’t the auction represent just a fraction of the deals that got done? :)
Joao
I will be there next year. Going to grab the bargain price that it is right now…i may not be a 20%, but i am not going to leave this world without living that experience. Thats for sure. And who cares if you didnt get listed. I didnt. Network and you might get better deals.
Ooh, i dont like asslicking, but i sure love domains and that is where people like me meet, so start thinking that way. I may not even like Rick in person or vice versa, but whatever happens, i will still love domains. Period.
Mr.T
Out of ALL the comments I´ve read in this post, ONE sentence here should be a lesson to you all.
“I don’t like failing. So I keep going until I get it right.”
That´s the spirit of a winner! If it didn´t work this time, sit down, look at what went wrong, and fix it. I like the approach, I like the attitude!
All the crying from the crowd is just a bunch of noise.
E
Rick, can you answer my question? You posted exactly after my post…
Thank you
tommy butler
Anyone who puts time and effort into a conference deserves a medal, its so easy to moan about this and that. lets face it could you do any better. I have never been to a Traffic show as based in UK but maybe will goto one next year. It takes weeks weeks planning, getting the right hotel, booking rooms and conference, then having all stress is its going to be a success, until then you have sleepless nights trying make sure will work, Rick does not have to run a show. he can chill out or wind up chaves brothers, He loves this industry likes to keep pushing it foward. respects due to Rick and Howard for the time effort goes into putting on these shows.
Nana
@forget the rest Rick .. Did it turn out what You had expected?
Puckerhuddle
I live in a rural area and auctions are common so I have some insight into what makes a good auction.
1- publicized list of items at auction
2-well promoted and advertised to the target audience
3-low or no reserves on the items for auction
4-experienced auctioneer
5-an auction that moves at a good pace to keep people focussed
If these things are all done, and Rick did them, you achieve a true glimpse of the value of those items at a given period in time…..THE TRUE WHOLESALE VALUE ON THAT GIVEN DAY
Rick you did all these and made it clear that this was an auction from domainers to domainers. This auction wasn’t purposed to establish retail values, just wholesale.
I personally watched the auction intently and I learned what I wanted know. If I had wanted to be in the bidding for some of the names I would have made sure that I would have had the phone connection set up. Not being online would not have held anyone back from bidding if they really wanted to be there. That is just a cry baby excuse. You had to go with the trusted technology.
So what did I learn from this auction.
1-I will make sure that I have a bidder # for the next auction
2-I like my portfolio (except for some of the Pigeon S— I have in it)
3-I will continue to build my portfolio on end user and development goals in mind.
4-There are some wholesale bargains to be had.
5-There is no evidence to suggest that the weakness in the wholesale prices are a reflection of retail weakness. They are two separate games. I can see no evidence of businesses and organizations not having a domain name as the cornerstone of their enterprise.
I would like to thank Rick and Howard for T.R.A.F.F.I.C., I was able to take information away from the conference without being there and I hope to be in attendance at the next one.
Robin
Tony
Rick,
We watched you pour your heart and soul into this for weeks and months. Pay no attention to the idiots. Some folks I thought were worth listening to I found out really have a bad disposition or something. My opinion of you has gone up. My opinion of them has gone way down.
michael berkens
Mike
1st thing is you don’t have to pay $2K for a ticket you can pay $999 like I do, you just have to buy ahead.
Like most things in life if you wait until the last minute to book an airline ticket vs buying it 60 days before you travel your cost is going to increase by a factor or 2X or 3X.
Not the airlines fault that you didn’t book ahead, not Rick’s problem either.
On the other hand when the Latona had TRAFFIC he couldn’t get 1/2 this amount of people in attendance and he was only charging $399.
As for the rest of the comments 90% or so are directed at the auction.
Lets not forget the auction is 2 hours out of a two day event and several more days of networking.
There were more attendee’s in most sessions than in the auction.
The auction doesn’t interest everyone to begin with.
I got some good buys, the auction was quick, I didn’t fall asleep or lose interest as I have in some past auctions.
The 1st auctioneer was clearly better than the second older gentleman but overall there was some lively bidding not just one pass after another, which was also part of a lot of previous auctions.
I agree with Rick there were no 7 figure buyers in that room so all of those types of domains would just be passes.
If you didn’t notice there were several PR the day after traffic, other deals were made.
The Larry Fischer deal I wrote about on my blog with coffee.org came out of a previous TRAFFIC conference.
I have made deals out of them as well.
You can’t put a dollar value on the opportunity to get to know people and interact with top companies and domain holders.
Congrats to Rick, Howard Barb and Alina for another great show.
Louise
@MHB said:other deals were made.
The Larry Fischer deal I wrote about on my blog with coffee.org came out of a previous TRAFFIC conference.
I have made deals out of them as well.Inquiring minds want to know the total $$ in deals made! :) coffee.org <== Good observation!
Scott Neuman
One thing Rick told me was, if I wasn’t looking to sell my names to domaineers, this wasn’t the show for me. I appreciated the honesty. Wish I could get to Vegas but looking forward to the reports.
Uzoma
HOW ONE OF THE EIGHTY PERCENTER SCORE THE TRAFFIC EVENT
All fingers are not equal. The industry standard event must be dived up into three categories:
1. TRAFFIC PREPARATION: I give the organizers a B+. The event required a lot of sacrifice and effort, and this was met. There could be more in terms of consultation with those outside the circle. There needs to be a way to link up with the vast”ocean” instead of the”pond” alone. Let’s begin to recognize that the AUCTION is a major barometer for many. To carelessly portray this major annual event as a place to relax, make connections, and do business, is myopic. The Auction is TRAFFIC. Many people have that perception, and in this case, perception is reality.
2. THE EVENT: Her, I give the event an A+. From what I monitored, read, and saw in videos, it was a class act, with beautiful people, wonderful environment, great city and hotel, and accomplished who is who of our sector, and beyond. It made me proud to be a domainer. Now, let us also lose the attitude that you need to land on the sun to realize that it is hot. You can tell by watching it, feeling the heat from earth, and other scientific methods. You don’t need to be at TRAFFIC to render a constructive critique. The feedback people give must be allowed, not necessarily adopted, but must be accorded the first amendment. Last year I came to Owen’s defense, and I noticed Shane was in a similar predicament. I disagreed with both of them, but respect their rights to utter them. I intend to be in the Vegas blockbuster TRAFFIC next year.
3. AFTER EVENT: Here again, I give the TRAFFIC crew a high mark, an A. Rick has re-assumed his role as domain king. There is even a second bite at the apple for some unsold domains. Rick is already looking forward to the next one, undeterred by recalcitrant comments and so on. Cheers to all who made it happen. It’s not easy. Most of the goals set were met. I’m proud of it.
rookie
Settle down folks.
Domainers should Unite and Conquer the World. Instead of complaining about the outcome of the show, you should all big it up, like other industries, example, gaming).Long before the Las Vegas event you should all blog about the event, hype it up and raise awareness, put it on your site, try to get it on the mainstream ahead of time ,and everybody will win, stop beating on each other, spread awareness about the shows and the value of everybody’s names will go up when the public is informed…
Don’t critisize it , publicize it.
ShuwiX
ROGER is one of the most important people in business.
He’s clearest example of how”not to behave”.
drrdroid
LOL GIRLS! VOTE 4 BOB
Nobody forced anyone to go anywhere.
Nobody promised anyone a rose garden.
Nobody was forced to sell, nobody was forced to buy.
Nobody claimed to be perfect.
NOTHING is perfect.
stop the fubar b.s and get R done in Vegas
Jeroen
Good to see the positive comments. I’m one of the domainers who lost when selling a no reserve lot. There’s only one person responsible for that and that’s myself. In fact it’s not an entire loss;valuable lessons learned!
Love the quotations so i’m going to post it again:”I don’t like failing. So I keep going until I get it right.”
Going to be there next year.
Cheers!