An anonymous donor auctioned the domain name LifeInsurancePolicies.com at the TRAFFIC auction, netting $15,000 for the Internet Commerce Association. I didn’t notice this auction benefitted the ICA until this morning, and I wanted to make sure others know about it. Among other things, the ICA is currently assisting domain owners in reversing the Kentucky gambling domain decision.
The domain name VYK.com, which sold for $8,000, was also a donation to the ICA.
I read Mike’s post this afternoon, and it hit home because I made some comments about Moniker’s position as live auction leader. Before the final lists and reserve prices were released, I said I think the multi-auction format “is going to change the landscape of the live domain auction industry as upstarts try to dethrone the industry leader. This can only bring good things for domain buyers and sellers.” I didn’t root against them nor did I hope to see them fail, as some others might have done on various domain forums (I know Mike isn’t referring to me, but I wanted to clarify).
I think Monte and his team at Moniker did a tremendous job of bringing great names to auction at great prices. I think the competition brought the best out in everyone, and we saw some strength during difficult times. Moniker’s auction helped allay some personal worries about the state of the domain industry, and they helped bring liquidity to the domain market – you can’t really pay your hosting and other bills with domain names. The auctioneer was great, and he kept things moving, which is important with an auction with many lots.
When the multi-auction format was announced, I also wrote that I thought “a new industry auction leader (would be) anointed.” While Rick did have a strong first showing, Moniker had a much better result than I expected. Yom Kippur is just around the corner – mea culpa. I apologize for doubting Moniker, and I also congratulate them, Rick Latona, and Aftermarket.com for their successes last week in New York.
Competition usually brings out the best in everyone. I believe all of the auctions achieved their main goals and were successful. I credit much of this to the determination of the 3 auction houses to bringing the best domain names at the best prices to market. Moniker still reigns as the leading live domain auction, and I can only hope the competition will help bring continued liquidity to the domain marketplace.
The Moniker Live Auction at TRAFFIC New York ended yesterday, reaching a grand total of $2,967,500 in sales. Quite simply, the well-priced good names sold (many above the reserve category). I believe the final results of the auction were better than most expected, which was boosted by the sale of FinancialAid.com (and a small package of similar names).
For the most part, it appears that the most “usable” domains sold for the big money. Aside from a few of the .me names that sold for over $20,000, this was a very conservative auction. Domain investors (myself included) are being more cautious about where to allocate funds, and it’s hard to justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a domain name if the domain’s usage isn’t obvious.
Personally, I believe Floor.com was the steal of the show. Not only is a huge modular carpet and flooring company known as FLOR (pronounced “floor”), but it is the category defining domain name for a multi-billion dollar industry. If FLOR did not buy this domain name, it could be a deadly mistake, as a competitor now owns the best name in their industry. That’s the problem with buying a “brandable” web 2.0 name, when the category defining generic domain may come on the market.
Below is the final auction tally, with my personal favorite best buys highlighted. All in all, this was a successful auction. Combined with the other auctions, there were almost $4 million in domain sales these past few days.
FinancialAid.com $800,000
Floor.com $275,000
Camps.com $110,000
LT.com $100,000
Cleaning.com $100,000
Searching.com $90,000
BirthdayPresents.com $80,000
Plans.com $70,000
Date.me $70,000
Sax.com $70,000
Literature.com $60,000
US.org $45,000
ShortStories.com $40,000
Clarinet.com $40,000
Microphone.com $40,000
SchoolLoan.com $35,000
Trumpet.com $35,000
Love.me $32,500
CEO.info $32,500
Winks.com $30,000
MusicStudio.com $30,000
Hometown.com $30,000
AnsweringService.com $25,000
LowRateMortgage.com $22,500
RestaurantSupply.com $22,500
Property.net $22,500
HerbalTeas.com $21,000
arizona.info $21,000
Kiss.me $20,000
Ask.me $20,000
Pepperoni.com $20,000
Camera.net $20,000
DogTrainers.com $20,000
Frisky.com $20,000
ChickenRecipes.com $19,000
Bulldozers.com $18,500
Buy.me $17,500
Delegates.com $16,000
AncientArt.com $15,000
Loan.me $15,000
Bilingual.com $15,000
LifeInsurancePolicies.com $15,000
Massager.com $13,500
Ankle.com $13,000
HolyGrail.com $12,500
FirstDown.com $12,500
Marry.me $12,000
YellowRoses.com $12,000
Sponsored.com $12,000
Examinations.com $11,000
WhiteRoses.com $11,000
MiniMart.com $11,000
Amateur.net $11,000
Calls.mobi $11,000
Show.me $10,000
Technology.net $10,000
Tmployment.net $10,000
RolePlay.com $10,000
BankStatements.com $9,000
WirelessHeadphones.com $9,000
GameDevelopers.com $8,500
VYK.com $8,000 (benefits the ICA)
Methodology.com $8,000
Joke.net $8,000
SleepWalking.com $7,500
Watch.me $7,500
Play.me $7,500
Pathologist.com $7,000
CelebrityWeddings.com $7,000
ClinicalPsychology.com $6,500
Rent.me $6,000
Liabilities.com $6,000
JapaneseGardens.com $6,000
HotBlonde.com $6,000
CatBreeders.com $5,500
Rescued.com $5,000
Starve.com $5,000
PressConference.com $5,000
marblefloor.com $5,000
OilDrilling.com $4,500
TelephoneConference.com $4,500
CollectiblePlates.com $4,500
DivingBoard.com $4,000
MarriageTherapists.com $3,000
Trades.net $3,000
BikeStands.com $3,000
ElectronicSupplies.com $3,000
SurroundSoundSystems.com $3,000
Cuban.net $3,000
Europe.mobi $3,000
Condominiums.net $3,000
StopSmoking.info $2,500
OfficeFurniture.info $2,500
Spanish.mobi $2,500
VintageCigars.com $2,450
SoyPasta.com $2,000
Stores.mobi $2,000
2009.org $2,000
666.mobi $1,500
MMM.mobi $1,500
Races.mobi $750
TOTAL $2,967,500
FinancialAid.com just sold at the Moniker TRAFFIC auction for $800,000. The auction is showing strength in my opinion, although some great names have passed at over $1mm – including a pair that sold for $3,000,000 at the last auction in New York.
It’s interesting to note (as someone pointed out to me), FinancialAid.com appears to be owned by major lending company, CIT. According to the CIT website, “CIT helps middle market businesses seize once-in-a-lifetime opportunities through business loans and financing products.”
Also included in the sale is FinancialAide.com.
Moniker’s Live TRAFFIC auction will take place this afternoon at 3pm. As I said earlier today, I think the auction results will be strong – especially in light of today’s economic conditions. As always, the auction will be simulcast live on webmasterradio.fm, and bidding can be done online if you sign up and download the bidding tool.
Many of the domain names below will be up for auction today:
Cleaning.com
Trumpet.com
Europe.mobi
Date.Me
Show.Me
Love.Me
Buy.Me
Watch.Me
Play.Me
Ask.Me
Kiss.Me
Rent.Me
Loan.Me
Marry.Me
Gasprices.us
Hotblonde.com
Roleplay.com
BankStatements.com
Windelectricity.net
Scrimmage.com
Pathologist.com
Employment.net
Liabilities.com
CornedBeef.com
Aidsresearch.com
Ankle.com
Celibate.com, celibacy.com
Chickenrecipes.com
Daisies.com
Us.org
Camera.net
Pepperoni.com
Restaurantsupply.com
LowRateMortgage.com
Xx.net
Winks.com
Answeringservice.com
Creditscores.net
Consumerloans.com
Microphone.com
Pensionplan.com
Plo.com
Temporaryjobs.com
Shortstories.com
Vhs.com
Fired.com
Literature.com
Cancerresearch.com
Doug.com
Healthcareplans.com
Web.org
Birthdaypresents.com
Videodownloads.com
LT.com
Disabled.com
Electricbikes.com
Redroses.com
Warez.com
Deposits.com
Mine.com
LeaseCars.com
Internetdating.com
Poem.com
Graphs.com
Cheapsoftware.com
Teenagers.com
Financialaid.com
Lowfare.com
Partysupplies.com
Zimbabwe.com
Searching.com portfolio
Ad.com
Bond.com
Babysitting.com
Winter.com
Creditscores.com
Sleep.com
CreditCheck.com, FreeCreditCheck.com
Stock.com
Adware.com and net
Homerun.com
Gas.mobi
CTR.com
Look.com
Camps.com
GasPrices.com
Blonde & Blond.com
Dancing.com
Bulldozers.com
99.net
Flights.net
Sites.com
Pokertours.com
Ticketsales.com
Calls.mobi
Sax.com
Ancientart.com
Catbreeders.com
Stores.mobi
Cuban.net
Clarinet.com
Clinicalpsychology.com
Musicstudio.com
666.mobi
MMM.MOBI
Races.mobi
Holygrail.com
Rescued.com
2009.org
Child.info, Father.info, Mother.info
Spanish.mobi
Officefurniture.info
Sponsored.com
Condominiums.net
Examinations.com
Laugh.net
Methodology.com
Stopsmoking.info
Bikestands.com
Soypasta.com
Keywordselection.com
Marblefloor.com
Summercamp.com
Collectibleplates.com
Surroundsoundsystems.com
Electronicsupplies.com
Pressconference.com
Vintagecigars.com
Retrain.com
Starve.com
Usedmaseratis.com
Wirelessheadphones.com
Divingboard.com
Celebrityweddings.com
Telephoneconference.com
Property.net
Bilingual.com
Oildrilling.com
Greeninformation.com
Joke.net
Sleepwalking.com
Minimart.com
Cheapgas.us
Ugly.net
Japanesegardens.com
Orders.net
Located.com
Baseballplayer.com
Gamedevelopers.com
Technology.net
Amateur.net
Knuckleball.com
Breathtaking.com
Drillpress.com
Sportcoats.com
Schoolloan.com
Dogtrainers.com
Smart.org
Tabloids.com
Whiteroses.com
Yellowroses.com
CarBrokers.com
Firstdown.com
Podcasts.net
Discountrate.com
Bubblebath.com
Guardians.com
Fabulous.net
Massager.com
Emissionsfree.com
Delegates.com
Elegance.com
Barbells.com
Sales.net
GroupRates.com
Frisky.com
Discountdrugstore.com
Familycounsellor.com
Arizona.info
HerbalTeas.com
Furniturerepair.com
Blackjacktable.com
CEO.info, Teen.info
Companionship.com
Governmentprograms.com
CarChargers.com
SummerCourses.com
CellularPlan.com
Candlestick.com
Sports.info
Neuroses.com
Hometown.com
MensOutlet.com
Chop.com
Moonshine.com
Much.com
Shutter.com
Minority.com
Pickuplines.com
Upscale.com
Forget.com
Giantpanda.com
Drunkdriving.com
Waterfall.com
Easypayments.com
Seniordating.com
Mermaids.com
Plans.com
EDollars.com portfolio
Cutegirls.com
Subways.com
Accountingjobs.com
Chosen.com
Floor.com
Policy.com
Pay.com
Promqueen.com
Autobody.com
Affiliateprogram.com
Trades.net
While the financial markets are in the midst of turmoil, and much of this country is facing difficult times, I think the results of the opening day Moniker auction, Rick Latona’s auction and Aftermarket.com’s auction show the strength of the domain industry. I don’t think the final tally for each auction was remarkable, but I think the auctions were very solid in such tough times.
There were some strong names offered for sale, and the reserve prices were mostly reasonable, allowing the market to set the sales prices. With several hundred bidders watching either online or in attendance, there were plenty of people looking to find good domain deals. A large majority of the names that were offered were sold, showing that if you price your name well, the market will deliver a fair price. Selling to end users might be more lucrative, but at the moment, end users might not necessarily have the cash.
This afternoon, Moniker is hosting their premier auction event. After spending quite a bit of time studying the auction list, I believe Moniker is poised to have a stellar day given tough outside market conditions. There are a considerable amount of names on the list that have great reserves (low or none at all), and these names are going to be sold for a fair price. I don’t think we will see huge numbers like the $10 million auction last year, but that’s completely expected given the current market conditions. My prediction is that they break the $2.5 million dollar mark, which would be indicitive of a solid market – not necessarily strong, but solid.
