TossPillows.com – A Buying Opportunity?

I spent the morning at the New York International Gift Fair piers, and one of the things I noticed was that there were a lot of companies selling toss pillows. There were all sorts of fabrics, colors, sizes, and designs – literally thousands of toss pillows.

As I usually do when I come home from a show like this, I did some Whois searches to find domain names that might be of interest based on what I saw at the show (it’s one reason I bought NightLights.com a couple months ago). I saw that TossPillows.com is owned by domain investor Garry Chernoff, and the name is listed for sale at Sedo with a buy it now price of $2,500. I think this is a reasonable price, although I am not planning on buying it. The exact match search volume for “toss pillows” is 1,900.

From my perspective, this is a great domain name, although there are a couple of downsides. First, there are hundreds of manufacturers of pillows and thousands of designs. As a result, it might be tough to sell these pillows online since there’s such an assortment. Second, toss pillows are also called “throw pillows” so there might be a bit of confusion. That said, for $2,500, it might be a good investment.

Disclosure: Although Sedo is an advertiser, they did NOT ask me to post this (nor did Garry) and I did NOT use an affiliate or tracking link. I wanted to post this disclosure because I am sure someone will make an incorrect assumption about my intent with this post.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

33 COMMENTS

  1. Yeah, most people do call them throw pillows here in the US as well. 500,000 searches for “toss pillows” . And Elliot, legally you have to disclose that you WERE paid to write an article not that you didn’t. I think your reputation shows that you wouldn’t write a paid article without disclosure which is a moot point because you don’t take money for articles anyway. Somebody must have given you a hard time about your opinion being swayed buy money.

  2. TossPillows.com is generic enough but like many things it seems that there aren’t a lot of domineers that are also developers or marketers and they seem to lack understanding that with little more than a $300 investment they could vastly increase their ability to sell it for more than their [smaller] $2500 [example] asking price. This is in effect saving a potential distributor or manufacturer thousands of dollars in advertising, and based upon that fact alone shouldn’t be sold for less than $10,000 or more. Of course you have to be a good sales person and do a small amount of hunting for the proper buyer, but they’re out there. Sorry, had to chime in on this one, and yes, I know how to sell a handreg for more than $99. Ideas come to people every second of the day and it’s good to find someone that has a similar vision and understands the potential from what others would say a useless domain name.

    • @ Rob

      ThrowPillows.com happens to be owned by a domain investor I know, and he’s done something interesting with it.

      Based on some of the pillows I saw that cost (wholesale) over $150/each, the high end of the market is pretty frothy. You don’t have to sell many $200-300 pillows to make money, although I would imagine it’s tough to sell a $300 toss pillow online.

      Also regarding throw vs. toss… my Dad, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather all have/had domestics retail businesses, and I’ve generally only known them as toss pillows. Not sure why, but that’s how I learned what they are. Bed Bath and Beyond refers to them as toss pillows though http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/stylePage.asp?RN=99

  3. @ Shane

    I know what the legal requirement is, but there always seems to be someone who makes a comment to ask whether I was paid or not, so it’s easier to post that and address it up front. I’ve stated and reiterated that I don’t take paid or otherwise sponsored posts (unless it’s for charity which I offered once although the winning bidder didn’t post yet).

  4. I agree with Shane, the disclosure is totally unnecessary. It is your blog so you proceed how you like. If you hadn’t put the disclosure, and someone did comment on it, then … so what? Those kind of people should be tuned out anyway.

  5. I’ve never heard of a “toss pillow,” only throw pillows, which made “toss” sound like a verb at first. I know people make money with all kinds of product names, but throw pillows are the kind of thing you pick up at stores like Crate & Barrel or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

  6. “Throw Pillows” is by far the dominant term.

    Search volumes –

    “Throw Pillows” –

    165K Broad
    90,500 Phrase
    22,200 Exact

    “Toss Pillows” –

    9,900 Broad
    6,600 Phrase
    1,900 Exact

    For $2,500 it is still a decent price for a decent product domain.

    Brad

  7. Hey Elliot:

    For what it is worth, out here in Calif., they are almost always referred to throw pillows. In fact, if you ask my sister, she would say I have thrown many throw pillows at her over the years. I have never tossed them. Although, I have tossed other stuff. 🙂

  8. Elliot,

    Disclosure is good.

    But, I still say you do get something out of it. Such as friendship, and being called a nice guy by Sedo or the owner of the domain. There’s an intrinsic, incalculable, yet palpable thing that you do get out of the posts.

    I recall admonishing you a couple of times for constantly posting good stuff about the big boys, such as Google, GoDaddy and such, and one of them actually was in support of SOPA or PIPA, if I recall correctly, (I know you wrote one a day prior that was psoitive for the industry), but anyways, I know some people will say this is your blog blah blah blah, but you know what? If it’s your blog and you do as you want, i just don’t want to see any pretense that’s all. So, like PoorUncle said, it’s good to disclose, but I’d be careful to claim that you get absolutely nothing from these types of write up. If you like the domain name, buy it, you are a domain investor, one of the better ones in the business, if you are not going to buy it, and you find a couple of negatives with it, then don’t write this type of article for Sedo; Sedo doesn’t do anything like this for anybody.

    • @ Uzoma

      You can say or think what you want, but neither Sedo nor the domain owner emailed me, and I have no need to be thanked. Additionally, the last time I did something like this and the name sold, I didn’t get a thanks from the seller or the brokerage, and I didn’t need one or expect one. The buyer did thank me though, and I think he got a solid name at a fair price.

      I can’t buy everything I like, but I am always buying great domain names. I think this is a good one at a fair price. Generally, I buy great names at great prices.

  9. @ Billy

    No shortage of tossers reading (and commenting on) my domain blog at 10pm on a Saturday night. Pretty sad. If it wasn’t for your comment, I wouldn’t even be on my blog right now 😉

  10. Hello Elliot,

    A couple of quick points:

    Nice of you to highlight a domain that someone could buy and build.

    The Canadian guy who said that in the UK we wouldnt call them toss pillows was correct, they are called throw pillows (as others have mentioned). Toss pillows would translate, as he rightly assumed, to w*nk pillows.

    Talking of toMAYtoes Tomatoes, and in relation to “disclosure”, you write this blog and give out great advice why tell the world I didnt get paid for this, I didnt get paid for that? I understand your thoughts behind this but then look even when you disclose no payment has been made you still get some grief. In the Uk we have another great term that we use when people ask us something thats none of there business that you should use too, its:

    F*ck Off.

  11. Anthony,

    There’s no need for that type of language, sir.

    Disclosure is a good thing. However, whatever that was disclosed is still subject to accuracy, scrutiny, and in this case, criticism.

    Take for example, say Elliot had disclosed in one of his blogs that he is a blonde bombshell, with tits more voluptuous than Dolly Patton’s, with lips more stunning than Aishwarya Rai’s, with eyes than could see right through you, and a heart of pure gold. Would it be wrong to point out that I beg to differ, even if this is taking place on his blog? (I use this extreme example to cement my point, I’m not accusing Elliot of anything that egregious).

  12. Uzoma –

    How many people here pay Elliot a subscription fee for him to post?

    If this was a paid for service I would agree that disclaimers would be a good idea however it isnt.

    You say you want to be critical because Elliot still gets “an intrinsic, incalculable, yet palpable value” out of these posts. So how is he meant to post about anything positive relating to domains without getting this? Should he post about other subjects where there is no chance of him benefiting, like the trucking industry?

    Your criticism is poor but then when I see you are being critical whilst backlinking it all becomes a bit rich.

  13. Anthony,

    I like Elliot’s blog. We pay him by visiting his blog, he in turn sells ad on it, so technically, we do pay him. If no one comes here, no advertiser will pay him to run the ads.

    If you agree with the above sentiment, then it makes your second paragraph mute or wrong, that is to say it is a “paid service”, we pay with our time, and he cashes in with the advertisers. My time is very very important to me, and I’m sure yours is too.

    Now, on your third point, about me being critical, referring to Elliot getting some sort of intrinsic value, well that is just stating the facts. He can post whatever he wants to post, and he is one of the best bloggers in our industry, he doesn’t need me to tell him what to post, however, I also have the right to speak out for or against whatever he writes. I have only two areas of contention with Elliot: I don’t want him babying the big-timers, or worse kissing their asses, especially when they are wrong, or selfish; this goes back over a year now. Secondly, I don’t want him looking out only for himself, by always only concerned with his blog, and overly using “I, me, my blog”, especially when we need a collective will and action, such as when Godaddy shot the elephant in Africa, and congress tried to ram through SOPA, and some of Google’s actions. That’s all. Overall, he and I agree on general stuff.

    And, on your last point, on back-linking here, Elliot’s blog is a “nofollower” site, and that’s another thing I hate about this blog, it is a “nofollower” site, so, no, I’m not trying to get any backlink from here. Thanks

  14. @ Uzoma

    I don’t know why you even spend any time reading my blog. You only seem to comment negatively and I don’t recall the last constructive/helpful/positive contributive comment you’ve made.

    I try to skip over what you post though because it’s comments like yours that make me question whether it’s worth the ad dollars to share my knowledge and insight with others. I make a fair amount of money from the blog, but I make enough with my domain business that I don’t need to deal with non-constructive criticism, which isn’t beneficial to anyone who reads the blog.

    There seems to be a lot more positive and helpful comments from others though, so it’s still a positive overall experience.

  15. Anthony,

    Addendum: I meant to clarify one more thing.

    You stated that “So how is he meant to post about anything positive relating to domains without getting this? Should he post about other subjects where there is no chance of him benefiting, like the trucking industry”?

    I did not comment on whether he should or should not benefit from writing his articles, if you re-read my criticism, you will discern from the fact that I was hitting him for saying he derives “no” benefit from writing it. He left the impression that he gets zero benefit from doing it, in essence, he is simply being a nice altruistic guy. I disagreed. I wasn’t vehement about it, I simply stated that i’d be careful in using such absolute terms in denying the benefit thing. In essence, you can almost see the reluctance on my part, but I had to say it.

  16. Elliot,

    Do you see what i mean?

    Read your last comment again and count the “I” and “my blog” in it. Tell me if that isn’t what we are talking about.

    I never comment on 99% of your posts, because they are usually great informational, and useful posts. So, the handful of times I comment, you’d expect to be somewhat critical. I have also commended you on exceptional ones. Right?

  17. ” I was hitting him for saying he derives “no” benefit from writing it.”

    @ Uzoma

    Where did I write that or make that implication?

    The only thing I added was that I wasn’t asked to write this particular post nor did I use an affiliate link to be compensated should someone buy it. There was nothing more and nothing less. I fully disclosed that Sedo is an advertiser because they advertise on my RSS feed and not everyone can see that. I did not say that I derive no benefit from my blog because I’ve said many times I most likely wouldn’t spend my time writing if I wasn’t earning money since that takes away my time from profitable business.

    “I have also commended you on exceptional ones. Right?”

    Where? You can easily recall posts where you’ve condemned me, so please do me the courtesy of showing where you’ve commended exceptional articles.

  18. Elliot,

    Where did you write or make the implication that you get “no” benefit?

    By challenging, or supporting those challenging my first criticism, which simply stated that you do get some sort of inexplicable intrinsic value.

    Here is the disclaimer in question:

    “Disclosure: Although Sedo is an advertiser, they did NOT ask me to post this (nor did Garry) and I did NOT use an affiliate or tracking link. I wanted to post this disclosure because I am sure someone will make an incorrect assumption about my intent with this post”.

    It doesn’t reveal the tangential benefits. For a blogger, goodwill from Google, Sedo, or Godaddy, is perhaps worth more than money. Do you see what I mean? So, I was just stating that there are other considerations not discounted, or accepted in the disclosure. I’m willing to end this discourse if you are.

    In the past, you have tried to intimidate me with reading your blog, I don’t have to read your blog if you like. But if I do read it, sorry I don’t have to agree with everything you write.

  19. “Do you see what I mean? So, I was just stating that there are other considerations not discounted, or accepted in the disclosure. I’m willing to end this discourse if you are.”

    No, I don’t see what you mean, but I am not going to waste any more time on this either. My disclosure was to make it clear that I am not receiving anything additional for writing this particular post. It was not implying that I get no benefit from my blog as you’ve indicated because it is clear that I have advertisers who pay me for writing. I’ve posted about this many times, and you can easily see it on my blog’s disclaimer as well.

    Of course you don’t have to agree with everything on here. It would be silly if you did. I was merely pointing out that you only seem to post negative comments, and you didn’t reference any positive comments you’ve ever written when I asked.

    Anyway, back to enjoying my Sunday.

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