Private drops a good idea? What do you think?

[pierso]

If this has already been discussed or is already happening please feel free to ignore or point me in the right direction.

In a nutshell I’m interested to learn whether any body knows if NF, Drop or any other drop catching service offers a private drop service.

For example let’s say I own a few domain names that I wish to sell quickly. (I’ve owned them for six plus months, bought in good faith, etc.)

They could be coming up for renewal and I don’t wish to renew them, or I could just have an urgent need for cash, or the market could be hot for the particular names I wish to sell.

A service such as NF or Drop could list them with the AuDA drops and (hopefully) get me a sale.

You have a high concentration of domainers watching the drops every day, meaning you should in theory achieve a wholesale price sale.

I know I could list them through standard listings or aftermarket auctions, but with the drop auctions I could get a result on the day.

Is there such a service?

If not, what do you think? Would you use such a service?

 

[Lorenzo]

a drop is a domain who has been deleted by the registry, yours aren't drops.

 

[snoopy]

You have a high concentration of domainers watching the drops every day, meaning you should in theory achieve a wholesale price sale.

I know I could list them through standard listings or aftermarket auctions, but with the drop auctions I could get a result on the day.

Is there such a service?

If not, what do you think? Would you use such a service?

Here is a question, are you willing to sell them for $1 each if need be?

If a lot of people are there is probably something that could be set up, but as soon as people say "I want this reserve" "I wouldn't sell for that" etc it is back to square one. Even then it is significantly more complex to auction off registered names compared to drop in terms of the transfer process, which I think is one reason why as a general rule exampledomain.com.au is worth more as a drop than at a normal aftermarket auction.

 

[pierso]

I understand that ID. Sorry, bad use of terminology.

Maybe such a service could be called "auctions of drops and private domains".

Just trying to think outside the box about a one day no reserve auction where I know lots of interested parties are looking and urgency is a factor.

I see numerous posts on here advertising domain names that members are seeking to sell for a number of reasons often with the kind of phrase: "best offer today will secure".

Just an idea.

Good points Snoopy - was thinking it might operate as "no reserve auction".

 

[snoopy]

I understand that ID. Sorry, bad use of terminology.

Maybe such a service could be called "auctions of drops and private domains".

Just trying to think outside the box about a one day no reserve auction where I know lots of interested parties are looking and urgency is a factor.

I see numerous posts on here advertising domain names that members are seeking to sell for a number of reasons often with the kind of phrase: "best offer today will secure".

Just an idea.

Good points Snoopy - was thinking it might operate as "no reserve auction".

I think if lots of people are willing to sell at no reserve it could work. Most names aren't going to get anything esp the names only 12 months old. Then you got transfer fees etc. It will be a small market, not sure if it it would be worthwhile or not. Fabulous does something like this with namejet for gtlds, but that works because they have control of the names, can do free/instant transfers etc.

 

[Lorenzo]

I understand that ID. Sorry, bad use of terminology.

Maybe such a service could be called "auctions of drops and private domains".

Just trying to think outside the box about a one day no reserve auction where I know lots of interested parties are looking and urgency is a factor.

The way I see this, is that too many people register useless domains, then they realize the mistake and hope to offload them to someone else instead of renewing them.

The problem is that the absurd transfer fee kills 90% of those little value domains, therefore most domainers prefer to reserve cash for few better names, therefore your idea is good but AUDA's policy makes it unprofitable.

 

[neddy]

Just trying to think outside the box about a one day no reserve auction where I know lots of interested parties are looking and urgency is a factor.

I see numerous posts on here advertising domain names that members are seeking to sell for a number of reasons often with the kind of phrase: "best offer today will secure".

Just an idea.

I like your thinking Pierso. Good to think of different ways to sell because while the drop auctions do quite well every day, there is currently only one secondary auction platform in operation, and that only runs once or twice a month. And for whatever reason, the S/Auction never seems to have as much following or interest as the daily drop auctions.

Without wishing to steal your thunder, I bounced something like your idea off George P when he was running Drop. I said what if I "client deleted" a domain so that it would go on the drops; and then whatever sales price was achieved, we would split 50/50 - 60/40 etc? (At that stage Drop was winning almost everything). And I was talking about decent domains too!

George pointed out a few pitfalls like another dropcatcher possibly catching it and therefore I would receive nothing.

But I wonder if an arrangement could be done with both drop catchers? I'm not sure if their would be any policy reason this couldn't be done (assuming 6 months had passed)?

It's worth discussing. Thanks for raising it.
.

 

[pierso]

Good to think of different ways to sell because while the drop auctions do quite well every day, there is currently only one secondary auction platform in operation, and that only runs once or twice a month. And for whatever reason, the S/Auction never seems to have as much following or interest as the daily drop auctions.

.

Exactly my thoughts Neddy.

Don’t worry, no thunder stealing, I assumed this subject would have come up before.

As a buyer I hardly look at the aftermarket auctions and standard listings and when I do they don’t create a sense of urgency for me to do anything, I can always come back to it later. I also think that I’m never going to get a bargain as they have been listed for a long time with plenty of time for both end users and domainers to bid. The drop auctions create urgency and the feeling that I may just snag a bargain, but on the flip side as a buyer I can get emotionally involved and get carried away which is obviously good for the seller.

When you auction your house you advertise the hell out of it, get all buyers together at one time and let them know that this is their one chance to buy it. It creates urgency unlike a standard sale listing.

In theory good domains would sell for wholesale price.
Domains not worth more that the COR fees wouldn’t get bought but isn’t that telling you something about the value of the domain you have? – and probably why your trying to sell it?

In these cases there's a chance that someone sees value in it that you don't, or someone is willing to develop it where you are not. One man's junk is another man's treasure etc.

Not sure about 50/50 or 60/40. That may not make it so attractive for sellers. But I’m sure a suitable arrangement could be agreed on. Maybe the auction sites could get a listing fee and/or a success fee. I presume that they get a portion of the rego fees for normal drops, surely they could get a portion of rego fees under a COR? (not sure how all that works)

just thinking out loud

 

[snoopy]

The way I see this, is that too many people register useless domains, then they realize the mistake and hope to offload them to someone else instead of renewing them.

The problem is that the absurd transfer fee kills 90% of those little value domains, therefore most domainers prefer to reserve cash for few better names, therefore your idea is good but AUDA's policy makes it unprofitable.

I think that sums it up pretty well in regards to what might be low value names otherwise.

 

[snoopy]

George pointed out a few pitfalls like another dropcatcher possibly catching it and therefore I would receive nothing.

But I wonder if an arrangement could be done with both drop catchers? I'm not sure if their would be any policy reason this couldn't be done (assuming 6 months had passed)?

It's worth discussing. Thanks for raising it.
.

I don't think this is going to work beyond a short timeframe (though even in the short timeframe the two are highly unlikely to work together). The seller is taking an obvious risk in allowing a deletion and as soon as it got traction there would be a big incentive for others to come in and try and grab these names (well the small % that would be valuable).

Reminds me of a few years ago when snapnames used to delete names then reregister them to effect a registrar transfer (after the name had dropped and been caught), as soon as people got wind of it it was on for young and old and snapnames had a very quick policy change.

 

[DavidL]

Reminds me of a few years ago when snapnames used to delete names then reregister them to effect a registrar transfer (after the name had dropped and been caught), as soon as people got wind of it it was on for young and old and snapnames had a very quick policy change.

I bet they did! Why did they do that anyway rather than just do a normal transfer?

 

[Lorenzo]

what is that Snappy didn't do?

 

[snoopy]

I bet they did! Why did they do that anyway rather than just do a normal transfer?

Can't remember exactly, there is rules about transferring a domain within 45 days of renewals, not sure how it impacts fresh registrations. Might have just have been done for simplicity.