Sunday Updates and Tips

I haven’t done a Sunday Updates post in a while, so it’s about time for another one. I feel badly for some of the Webfest attendees who either had to leave early or are “stuck” in Santa Monica because of the snow. I am headed back home today from Canada and am hoping our snow plow guy cleared our driveway because we received about 2 feet of snow. I love the snow, but I think two feet is a bit excessive.

On to the updates and tips:

• If you want to let people know you are willing to sell a great domain name, putting it into an auction with a high reserve is a great way to do it. By setting a high reserve, it lets people know the owner is open to discussions but isn’t desperate for a sale. It’s a good way to start a conversation about selling a domain name with lower risk.

• Now that Webfest has finished, the next domain name conference is Domaining Spain, which will be held in Valencia at the end of April. I am still trying to convince my wife to go, although she doesn’t have as flexible of a schedule as me, and since our daughter goes to bed around 7pm, we would miss out on the “real” Spanish night life.

• Bidding is now open for the  Webfest extended auction, and it closes in 3+ weeks. Personally, I dislike auctions that are longer than a few days, and for the most part, I forget about them between when I first see an auction and when it closes. I guess it gives them time to contact more end users, but it seems long to me.

• There’s an interesting psychological “trick” discussed in Lifehacker that might be helpful to you in your domain name or other types of negotiations. Check it out when you have a chance. Thanks for sharing, Jeroen!

• Best part about being a domain investor is that I can work from anywhere. Worst part is that I feel like I am always working no matter where I go or how far away from home I am. Luckily, I was able to stay away from my blog by scheduling a bunch of posts last week.

• On a non-domain name related note, if you like to ski, I recommend taking a trip to Tremblant. We had a great time skiing this past week. Most of the trails were open, and the black diamonds were manageable. The only downside is that it is very cold up here (-11 F in the morning) and it’s windy. The people are nice, restaurants are good, and the casino is fun (Blackjack Switch is the way to go).