Old domains : From hand-registration to sale, 17 years later

Between 2001 – 2003 I was perusing dropped domain lists provided by one of the best paid-for services at the time, DomainsBot.

Hundreds of dictionary domains were available, in .com, .net and .org. I scanned through thousands of domains, looking for worthy registrations. I think I hurt my eyes on a daily basis!

Registering single words, even gerunds, seemed like a good choice and I ended up adding dozens of quality domain names to my domain portfolio, paying just the registration fee.

My modus operandi at the time was still that of a domain flipper; I wanted to achieve whatever mark-up I could for these hand-registrations. A few dollars in profit seemed ok at the time. By 2004, that mentality had evolved into that of a savvy domain investor, who holds quality assets long term, seeking to maximize the ROI.

What changed that?

Rick Schwartz’s “power of no,” along with developing my personal instinct on negotiations, and eventually getting quality domains in the secondary domain market.

It amazes me looking back at those domain sale threads at popular forums, where I offered the domains at sub-$100 prices. I still sell domains that I acquired or registered during that era, and one such recent example is Glowing.org, a domain I registered in 2002.

Having offered the domain for a silly $18 dollars at forums in 2004, just to cover two years of registration costs, I’m glad nobody bought it.

After negotiating on Uniregistry with the brand representative of a media organization, this $4,000 dollar sale is very satisfactory to achieve. The sale recently closed, and it was a follow-up to an inquiry the buyer made at the end of last year.

What is the recommended approach, when it comes down to negotiating with buyers that represent brick and mortar companies?

The most important factor is trust, and using the Uniregistry – now Uni – Market, helped establish that. The process is straightforward, and the buyer indicated their need to receive and start using the domain “immediately.”

Seeking a reasonable price, while remaining firm about the value of the domain asset, is another indication of willingness to conduct business with a serious, professional attitude.

I’m glad that the buyer is an award-winning media agency that will develop the domain into an active brand, just like the case of 100.org.