Morning Folks!!
It was January 1998. Las Vegas. That’s the time my world changed. 2 years of preaching and posting about domains and meeting with the normal naysaying just hit a new reality. To make a long story short, the deal I made with Dean Shannon was big news in the adult world. It really was not until the trip home on the plane when it really hit what I had done. Lee Noga kicks the back of my seat and says “Congrats Mr. Millionaire”. I had not realized it until that moment. It was just a $30,000/week deal to me.
The day before I had made a deal for all the traffic from Porno.com. A deal that would last for 5 years. The deal, $30,000 a week. More than $1.5 million a year for ONE domain name. It was eventually increased as you will read below.
So I was already in the process of selling my real world business because even tho I was making $350k and more a year, it was a distraction. It was taking too much time even tho I did not spend that much time on it, it still interrupted me and my quest for domains.
By March I finally had the deal done and I was out. After a number of months relaxing and vacationing and working and really not that much to do I decided to just repeat what I had done the first time. So I started taking the Porno.com money and I started buying even better domain names. I did that for about another 18 months. I stopped when I had built ANOTHER $1.5 million income stream.
At that point I worked but I also was retired and was taking life easy. Which brings me to the point of this post. There have been several epic events on my journey. These were a couple of them.
But I have a couple more.
In September 2000 I went to New York City. Years before I had predicted that one day we would walk through Times Square and every billboard would be a dotcom advertisement. Of course I was laughed at.
On that September Night just 12 months before 9/11 we walked the square. Billboard after billboard was filled with dotcom ads. EVERY ONE! Ask Serge. Tears started to roll down my cheeks. It was uncontrollable. To get something this big right was huge! Then months later the bust happened. Luckily I was never near the collapse and it barely affected me.
The next years I just coasted along. Men.com deal. Buying Candy.com and Property.com and many more along the way.
That brings me to this Fall. Another Times Square moment happened. A bigger moment. A more ripe moment. I can’t wait to get the DVD so I can play it over and over and over again and really understand it even more than I do. I only saw it once. It was brief. It made tears come to my eyes. It won’t be anything for most. But for me, THIS was the breakthrough event I have been waiting for.
So simple. So subtle. But it comes down to one scene in “The Social Network” where it shows them searching for the domain name. BRILLIANT!! Ground Breaking! The masses just got a handbook and a roadmap to the domain world and it was all by accident. Unintended. But the result does not care about that stuff. The result is the single biggest moment in the evolution of domain names and their rightful role and place.
The masses all saw the same thing at the same time and it is a game changer. THIS is the “Spark” that changes everything. Bigger than the biggest domain sale. This my friends is like a pistol marking the beginning of a race. The great race. The greatest race.
Minimize if you like. I have been around long enough to know a sign like this. This movie besides that scene plants a seed in EVERY person watching it. Not just a small seed. But a burning desire. That is the takeaway. It may start with Facebook. But it does not end there. Facebook is the vehicle that gets everyone online longer and longer as the days pass. The longer folks are online, the better we all do.
This is truly the beginning of a 5 year period that will change the game in the most incredible and significant ways. The eve of the last quarter of the single greatest opportunity in history. I waited 15 years for that one monent. Had no idea in what form it would manifest itself. But it all came down to one scene from one movie. It may mean nothing to you, it means everything to me. And in the coming years you will look back and may see what I see. Either way, I just want to be on record.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
Greg
I had watched a documentary on the women who handles Times Square advertising, she said in the 70,s they could not give away the ad space, now its priceless. Everything changes, you have had great foresight, that’s a gift.
Stardom
Rick, I always love your posts, good and bad.
This was a GREAT post
Thankyou very much!
cheers
Steve Cheatham
Good one Rick.
One more observation, The economy is starting to blast off for the Internet era. Be there or be left behind. ;)
Via Nisle
You are a wise man, Mr. Schwartz. And a great writer too.
My”Holy Sh*t!” moment came when I accidentally stumbled upon the hilarious domain name video that is still posted on the home page of http://OceanfrontDomains.com/
I still enjoy watching it over and over. It says so much in so little time.
Keep up the good work, my domaining friend.
Rick Schwartz
http://OceanfrontDomains.com/
VERY GOOD!!
Uzoma
You absolutely predicted that Social Media will not take over domain names. I remember you re-emphasizing it less than six months ago, when every one was saying social media will make domain names obsolete. So, we are not just praising the King to be nice. I don’t do that. The domain King has earned his crown –er bobble-head over again
Ted
Rick,
You are a man of great insight and intuition, and I dare say that you held the flicker of light that have illuminated the world of domains to the congregation. Your tireless effort to continue to point us towards the light have often been met with unwarranted criticism, but mostly, I might add envy and jealousy. Please note that there are those of us who appreciate your guiding light.
Keep up the good work.
Ted
Mark Colyer
What domain registrar do they use in the movie to look up the domain? or is it a fictitious one?
Neal
Rick,
I had bought a domain name to help market myprocurement services and after reading your article, I bought three more domain names that are exact keywords in my industry!
You are an inspiration!
Neal
After reading your blog, I went out and bought 3 unregistered domain names that were also exact keywords for my industry!
Ed Keay-Smith
Hi Rick,
Fantastic post mate, I got emotional myself when I was reading it!!
The funny thing is that I personally know the company and person in Perth who bought the Porno.com traffic off you that you spoke about here –
“The day before I had made a deal for all the traffic from Porno.com. A deal that would last for 5 years. The deal, $30,000 a week. More than $1.5 million a year for ONE domain name. It was eventually increased as you will read below.”
The funny thing is, the reason that he contacted me was because of an article that you and I were both in for the Australian paper The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/domain-kings-rivers-of-gold/2008/01/28/1201369021193.html
He contacted me to consult to him about domain names! Small world my friend! LOL
I only just watched last night the movie The Social Network at a special networking event held in Perth and I had tingles down my spine at the domain scene you talk about when they register thefacebook.com at Network Solutions. Very cool and now very mainstream!
The next 5 years are going to be a blast, hold on tight everyone!!
Cheers
Ed Keay-Smith
OzDomainer.com
Phil Temperly
Rick,
Do you see a movie being made someday about your life?
Anunt
Mark this post…within 5 years, there will be no such thing as a dot com domain name…there will be no where to type these things.
Few years back, we use to type… http://www …now we just type in the domain name like ricksblog.com
The internet is changing very very quickly…as you can see…
We now have apps, ipad…whats next…i dont know…but i know that there will be NO such thing as a domain name in the near future.
I can not explain this to you…but you will see…and you will remember reading this post ricksblog.com within 5 years from now…
Mark this post!
Will
Rick, I guess I’ll have to see the Social Network. Is it safe to declare this the beginning of the”golden age” of domains? I hope I can ride this wave of success!
steve
Only the smart, educated, experienced, skilled will survive.
I only succeeded after I told all my friends they were leeches and scum, fired all my employees and did all the work myself.
Disgusting to have to go to such measures.
But watching everyone lose their jobs it shows me this country can’t compete. But most countries can’t compete so the salaries will just go down to $5 hour unless propped up by law.
I can prove domain forums are junk and should be done away with.
Open a phone book and randomly call people. You will make a sale before you make a sale on a forum. Trust me I tried for fun and it worked.
Money truly is the root of all evil. The way to making money is not to be greedy or think about making money. Now 99% people say yes that is so true, but they don’t even know they are living on that road. Blind bastards.
personal injury lawyer
interesting replies everyone
Rick, are you back to regular posting on your blog, as was a quite a while until this post
we enjoy your posts so please keep them regular!
MJ
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
For increasing column width. :D
Pattaya Girls
“thefacebook.com” drop the”the” great minds must think alike :-)
widh he movie had explained why he chose facemash.com for his hor or not clone.
Fox
Oh man, now I’m depressed.
I just read on a site that spelled gloom and doom for domainers.
1) That companies don’t buy”genericproductterm.com”. No, they create a brand name like”Coca-Cola” or”FaceBook”. So generic product terms and the like aren’t valuable to companies flush with cash. And that’s why companies will never really invest in domains.
2) That upcomming technologies will cause domains to lose importance and value and perhaps even make them a thing of the past.
I had a big plan laid out to buy good domains and flip them or lease them out, but now I’m feeling discouraged. What do you think?
Lucas
“Please note that there are those of us who appreciate your guiding light.”
Agreed
Danny Pryor
@ Fox: You may read whatever you wish, wherever you wish. The naysayers have predicted the demise of domains from the outset, but the one thing all the Apps, all the agencies, all the businesses will need in order to purvey the Apps, is a freakin legit domain name.
Which name do you remember more: allyearcoolingandheating.com or acrepair.com? It’s one of those things that really matters. Who do you call? 1-800-BUY-A-CAR or 1-800-972-4185? Of course, I am speaking in the abstract, but only to a point.
I loved the movie, and I will be adding it to the digital collection when it becomes available! But @ Rick, I wonder whether the masses will still get it. It’s been so long, and I just tried to lease out a domain name (rather ballsy, since I don’t actually own it) to a group of people who think their brand is more powerful than a generic. So, remember allyearcoolingandheating.com. Just don’t type allyearcooling.com, or you get the competition!!!
APP is going to $5 and more
Great post, Rick. I will document an investment that will pay for lots of doomains for all of you. Ameerican Apparel APP.
Trading as I write this at $1.74 per share. Today is December 10th. The price will be over $5 by August. It will go over $10 within 18 months.
They are turning around and had some bad press this summer (misleading and wrong press), but you will make a lot of money if you buy today or next week.
steve
Big copmpanies don’t run the economy, small business does.
Big companies will never ‘buy’ domains anyway so who cares.
Their marketing departments will never let that happen.
The money is there, but its in the range of $300 to $2000.
Graham
I would have given you $10 million a year for Porno.com traffic. And that’s only 2% of a good camgirls site. Shame you couldn’t see the real $$$ in NAME REMOVED. 500,000 cam girl models on some sites. Atleast you can afford your private 30 foot pool on the Cruise Ship each year!
LeeNoga@cfl.rr.com
Rick I remember that flight we took when you closed your first million dollar deal. I remember on YNOT spending countless hours harvesting domain name ideas for the $50 prize you offered for best name available.
How nieve were we then? Giving you awesome domain names for a small reward.
But, I did grab as many domain names as I could afford, and turned them over for over $150,000 over time. Once registrars started running programs and snatching names, it lost it’s fun for me. But, before the programs, it was wide open and fun panning for gold in the mid 90’s.
You went from making banners for $50 to being the King with a”wink” from God in a movie. Circle of life my friend, circle of life. Embrace it, you never lost your way despite your wealth. Total respect :-)