The big news of the day is the death of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, who was 90 years old. Coincidentally, the Fidel.com domain name sold in an expired  domain auction at NameJet for $16,000 a little over 8 days ago.
It’s always a bit of a mystery to see a valuable domain name deleted. Estibot pegs Fidel.com’s value at $50,000, although the market was a bit less enthusiastic than Estibot’s valuation. There were 185 bids from 156 bidders in this auction. I was a bidder in the auction.
Archive.org shows quite a few entries for Fidel.com, but I see a mixture of Sedo landing pages and either generic domain registrar or web hosting landing pages. I am not sure if the domain name was ever developed before. Prior to its expiration, Fidel.com was owned by a registrant in France. I checked NameBio, and they do not have any archived sales for this domain name.
I wonder if Fidel.com is worth more now that Fidel Castro is dead.
Makes for an interesting blog post, but you can’t really do much with that domain sorry to say. And it’s a big gamble thinking anyone would want to buy it later for a good price if that’s what any are thinking (already for sale on Sedo $10k min. offer). I think you have to have money to burn gambling on that one. Seeing the whois is for Switzerland, where people tend to stash a lot of money with plenty available to burn, kind of funny perhaps. I actually feel bad for the registrant really because I suspect he does not have money to burn if he’s already listing it on Sedo that way. But I’d be happy for him if he gets a good price.
Probably you have never been to Switzerland, but usually people there don’t “tend to stash a lot of money with plenty available to burn …” … that’s one of the most ridiculous stereotype I’ve ever heard … lol 😀
Actually, besides being a first name, “Fidel” is also a brand, and there are many companies worldwide with that name.
I’m not judging their investment, but I don’t think that the buyer, Finlead, which owns some great names, has cash issues for 16k USD.
Peace! 🙂
The registrant owns a very good portfolio of domain names.
I am not really sure what you mean by the comment about Switzerland though.
Honestly, you guys should relax a bit. Stereotypes exist for a reason – because they are usually based on truth and are useful that way. So stashing money in Switzerland is obviously a known truth since at least as long as any of us have been alive. Now my phrasing was ambiguous and I did not mean only those who live or have a residence there, but someone I knew from Switzerland even once told me everyone was “rich” there, which was one of the reasons why he liked it, though we know of course that is not literally and entirely true. All in good humor and based on reality. When people think “Switzerland” we know that big money and bank accounts are one of the first things that come to mind, unless one has been living under a rock as they say…
So Elliot it’s not for nothing and no surprise you did not make a point of winning that auction.
I evaluate such names first as an end user – what can I do with it, how can I “monetize” it – and only second as a possible reseller. On both counts I really consider it a waste of time and money, I’m sorry to say, at least anywhere near $16k. And the relative fame of its most obvious reference is included. If it is a brand, though my quick cursory Google search did not even indicate that, then all the worse as far as I’m concerned. Gambling on a brand being willing to cough up a good price, for instance, is not exactly a good strategy imo for one like that, and as an end user it only tends to limit what I can actually do with a domain. But if the buyer is happy then let him be happy. I did not see indication of Finlead in the whois, however, so I guess there is much more to know about the buyer.
It still may pay off regardless, btw, considering the obvious, but still too much like spending money on a lottery ticket or roulette for one like that.
Ah yes, “finlead” is in the emails. Was looking at a site with very tiny font for that…
…And on a side note important to us all…
“China Battles For Internet Hegemony After America Gives Up Control”
http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/26/china-battles-for-internet-governance-after-america-gives-up-control/
And where was this in all the blogs (very interesting reading):
“Dallas Judges Shred Constitution, Steal Millions”
http://dailycaller.com/2016/08/12/california-attorney-dallas-judges-shred-constitution-steal-millions/
We were happy with the name when we won the auction, and still are.
Buying and investing in domain names is always a gamble. In Switzerland and everywhere else.
The latest development does add fuel for JFK/Castro conspiracy theories and enhances the value of this domain even further, however:
1. Nov 22, 1963
2. Nov 25, 2016
The “3” on the end in #1 signifies a three day difference from Nov 22 to Nov 25; removing that “3” to add three days to 22 to get 25 leaves “6” as the ending # for #1; “6” is also the ending # on the year portion of #2.
That alone has to be worth at least another $56 million in new conspiracy theory products involving the Fidel Castro side of things (2016 – 1963 = 56).
(Sorry, that should be 53 not 56.)
(Posts like that last one is where I forget this is a blog instead of a forum like old DNF days, lol…)
I was actually in this auction also. Price went a bit to high for me though. Once I heard the news about Fidel, I immediately thought about this auction.
-Omar