Replying to Foreign Language Domain Inquiries

Elliot Silver
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12

This morning, I discovered that DomainNameSales.com has a translation tool, allowing users to translate domain name inquiries that aren’t in English. Although I have received inquiries via email that were in foreign languages (to me), this was the first inquiry I received like this via DNS landing page.

The inquiry I received was from someone in China, and the translated message was “how much?” It was nice to be able to see what the prospective buyer said to me, but having a discussion with the prospect will likely be an issue for me, as I do not speak Chinese. I suppose I could use another translation tool to compose a reply, but I don’t have much faith in the accuracy of translation tools.

Given the fact that the domain name in this negotiation is

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Koko.com Sells for $100k

Elliot Silver
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6

I recently learned about an excellent domain name sale that I am permitted to share publicly. Last week, Koko.com was sold privately for a little over  $100,000. The deal did not include a non disclosure agreement, so the seller was willing to share news of the sale as well as the sale price. I understand that the buyer contacted the seller via the Whois email, and the negotiation took place over the course of a few weeks, all in Chinese. The sale price was 620k RMB, which is just over $100k USD.

The seller of the domain name is iGenesis Limited, a domain investment company based in Hong Kong. A historical Whois search shows that iGenesis appears to have acquired the domain name in late 2005. I was told the domain name was acquired for $12k via GreatDomains.

The transaction was done using

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Domain Brokers: Make Me an Offer

Elliot Silver
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16

I received an email from a domain broker I do not know (and have never even heard of before) asking me if a domain name I own is for sale, and if so, what the price is. The broker indicated she was inquiring on behalf of a client who wanted to buy my domain name. My message to her was make an offer and she said she would need to get back to me.

I would imagine a  domain broker working on behalf of a legitimate buyer knows what the buyer’s budget is. Additionally, an experienced broker should know the approximate value of a particular domain name. That information combined should be enough to at least provide a reasonable opening offer. If the budget isn’t commensurate with the domain name’s value, it seems unbelievable that a professional domain broker would take on the project, especially given the fact that the domain name they inquired about is owned by someone that is knowledgeable about the domain space.

If a domain broker isn’t

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Igloo.com Acquires Aftermarket.com Marketplace

Elliot Silver
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3

I just received word that Igloo.com has acquired the Aftermarket.com domain name resale marketplace from Thought Convergence. Terms of the private deal were not released. I’ve always felt that the Aftermarket.com platform had the ability to compete with the largest domain name marketplaces, and perhaps this acquisition will spur that to happen.

The acquisition indicates to me that Igloo.com is poised to grow beyond its reputation as a high end domain brokerage service. There is a major difference between brokering 6 and 7 figure domain names and operating a platform that specializes in the sale of every type of domain name. The key factor for Igloo.com will be its distribution channels because the most successful marketplaces have a wide variety of sales outlets. I am interested to see how Igloo.com establishes those relationships.

The press release announcing the sale is below.

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Give an End User a “Deal”

Elliot Silver
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7

There are a lot of domain investors who are afraid to leave money on the table. I am one of those people. However, I am also a realist, and I would generally rather do a deal at 70-80% of what I think I could potentially achieve than hold out for every last penny, which may never come. Worse, it could cost me a reasonable deal that is on the table because a buyer could choose another domain name instead of mine.

There’s a funny thing about leaving money on the table. When we agree to sell a domain name for an end user’s best and final offer, we

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Nice Cax.com Domain for Sale Landing Page

Elliot Silver
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8

I stumbled across a nice looking domain name for sale landing page I want to share with you. When you have a moment, check out Gastronomy.com. I am not sure who owns it due to its private registration, but I really like the appealing landing page.

The first thing I noticed is the full background image of a beautiful photograph of what appears to be a dessert or an appetizer (foodies are welcome to tell me exactly what it is). The second thing I noticed is a bright yellow banner across the top to announce the domain name is for sale. When I clicked the blue link, I was taken to a Cax.com offer / purchase page where the domain name is listed for $100,000.

One thing I would suggest is to

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