So we all know the story about Joe the Plumber, the guy from Ohio. We also know about how a different Joe in Texas has been made several 6 figure offers for JoeThePlumber.com, his business domain name. However, what hasn’t been reported is the fact that Joe bought the name from BuyDomains.com just last year. Although I can’t find the price he paid, my bet is it’s less than a few thousand dollars – a nice ROI!
It’s not the same guy being featured on TV who owns the domain. In a month the domain will be old news so the $800K number I hear being attached to it’s value only makes sense if there is a franchise ready to rebrand and expand based on the memorability. Plumbers are still being found through Yellow Pages and I was talking with a local Joe the Plumber yesterday whose yellow page ad of the same name sends prospects to his webpage of a cryptic name for $150 a month.
I would think you could make a killing in real estate or stocks right now with $800K (or use it to super develop your best domain) then to buy this on speculation that type-ins will lead to ads to clicks to prosperity.
Interesting that one of the pundits yesterday suggested to Joe that he gets “1-800-Joe-The-Plumber” and put it on his truck and he will have that 1/4 mil business in short order. Of course someone else commented that snaking pipe with your ass crack showing is hardly the best American Dream life most people think of. So when spending 800K for a name, why not go for something based on a based plan versus hype.
Still looking at pizza.com [page and shaking my head.
I call BS on the six-digit offer.
***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***
LOL… I think it would be one of the dumbest domain investments in history if this happens. Joe the plumber is symbolic, but in 2 months he will be completely forgotten.
Nice find Elliot
***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***
I can’t take credit for finding it 🙂
I just bought 1800JoeThePlumber.Com and I am putting it on ebay right now with a low reserve and 3 days only.Maybe get a couple bites this is just a quick flip.Wish me luck guys,M
Actually I put it up for 5 days and auction is up.Anyway I know its silly but we’ll see what happens.
***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***
My bet is you just wasted $7.50 + Ebay fees 🙂
I’ll let you know Elliot,Cheers
Is is sad that I sit at the PC watching the debate so i can register domains? Once “Joe the Plumber” was said the third time, I checked to see if it was available.
Domainers are such a trip. As far as I can see even all the typos for JoeThePlumber.com were taken too.
ROTFLMAO
First of all, I don’t believe anyone would actually pay the owner even 100k (anyone can “offer” anything for anything) for this flash-in-the-pan domain.
Were it me, I’d take anything I could get over about 25k…laughing all the way to the bank…yes; even if I were a plumber…named Joe.
ps Sorry, joeplumber, plumberjoe, joesplumbing, and many others are also already taken (though plumbingbyjoe.com is still available [but not for long; go get it, boys])…in many extensions as well.
Keep an eye out for all the joe/plumber drops in the next year or two…
Kevin’s right; you just gotta lover domainers. Quite the characters, aren’t we? 😉
Yes we are not a glum lot! I cannot look at words anything on or listen to anybody that says something catchy without putting dot com at the end in my mind’s eye! Sometimes I find myself saying them out loud! A few weeks ago I walked into a godiva chocolate store and the girl at the register was named Joy Gently and I just had to ask her is she registered her name yet…and she had no idea what I was talking about! : )oops!
Interesting find, Elliot.
I doubt someone would pay anything for the domain, probably just a prank. He got lots of quality links for the domain, so a great link bait there 😉
I have an ad deal with Joe – put it together on Friday and my banner is on his site. I would bet against a sale – especially in the six figure range.
Jeff – I see the banners, but I don’t see any way to click them or order shirts….
Millis: what happened to 1800joetheplumber.com auction? Lol