market sucks...

[woopwoop]

...from the pov of a seller.

I'm less and less involved in the domain game and am starting to sell off. Just wanting to keep hold of a handful of websites that bring in revenue and a few of the domains that have a high chance of me developing them

From my own experience, I've been fortunate to have a few £1-1.5k sales that can pay the domain bills (and a handful of smaller sales), but recently it's like trying to flog a dead horse to get rid of names that I think aren't that bad.

Have invited offers on the following couks without much interest at all:
budgetgifts
studentpaintball
preventspam
royalforum(s)
celebrityscoop
specialbreak(s)
london365
londonouting(s)
procycles
ratesearch
sporttalk
studentpodcast

(I have a big list that is for sale for £300 for everything here.)

Sure some of the names are crap but am I blinded in thinking there are some gems in there? or is this really a big change in the market?

I picked up 3 LLLs for £600 recently and a couple at £299, and really I thought that these prices were because of the release of the short names last year, but maybe the market was already inflated?

I'm happy with the few sales I've made but need to shift more.
I have the following coming up for auction at Sedo soon with very low reserves (as the guide price shows) but should I have held out until better times?

qmg.co.uk
fsq.co.uk
jsq.co.uk
seu.co.uk
ewan.co.uk

I have some sites that I want to sell but should I wait to sell them too?

Is anyone else in this situation? Or in a situation where you are buying up names while they're cheap?

 

[rob]

I am buying more than ever at the moment, but it certainly is a buyers market. I might have spent an extra £xxx to get a name before, but now I wont so I have become tight

Its certainly more the case than ever that if a deal doesnt happen or a price isnt right then move on quicker as there is stuff for sale everywhere.

Good names command decent cash, but there does seem a few firesales of stuff which must knock on. Likewise, there is often the same rubbish up for sale which never shifts.

Good names will always get good prices - thats not changed.

 

[woopwoop]

I agree - there are deals all over the place and buyers maybe moving on.
Before I was good at gauging prices now I'm lost.

For something concrete let's take the 15 names (counting plurals) I mentioned above (all .co.uk's):

budgetgifts
studentpaintball
preventspam
royalforum(s)
celebrityscoop
specialbreak(s)
london365
londonouting(s)
procycles
ratesearch
sporttalk
studentpodcast

If these weren't mine and any one came up on DL/sedo then I really wouldn't be surprized to see it sell for £250 (some possibly a lot more).

But trying to sell some at xx is hard work and still no sale at the end of it!

Rob (or anyone else) what do you think the 15 names above are worth?

 

[Retired_member41]

I think procycles is worth £35 which is what I would pay.

 

[woopwoop]

I think procycles is worth £35 which is what I would pay.

lol - hey you offered 40 before! (this £250 name - can be yours for £99 )

 

[Edwin]

If you believe they'd fetch £250 each on DL then why not list them there? It's quick, and free as long as they sell, assuming a £50 no reserve start...

 

[woopwoop]

If you believe they'd fetch £250 each on DL then why not list them there? It's quick, and free as long as they sell, assuming a £50 no reserve start...

That's the thing Edwin, I did (at least one of the names above) and not a single bid. My point above was just that it wouldn't surprize me to see names like this sell for £250, yet it seems their 'value' is more like £25 - or am I wrong? Just re-questioning how to value the names.

i think in the past there is a certain comfort in having a good feel for what your portfolio is 'worth'. It allowed me to keep spending, buying domains, investing etc., while I'm happy to hold out on most domains (not broke... yet) and while I'm confident in some of my top names and websites, it is a bit worrying that names I thought were mid-xxx don't sell for £50?! I've lost my mojo.

(please no £25 offers on these names)

 

[davedevelopment]

Got to be honest, I don't think I'd reg those if I saw them as available.

 

[woopwoop]

Thanks Dave - maybe I need the reality check.
Anyone else ?


I'm starting to let names expire, and although I haven't got to the point where I'd let these names (and the hundreds of others in the same league) expire (I've had low offers on them in the past) I have definitely started to lower my price expectations.

Thinking about it, one of the problems that may inflate the value of these types of domains in my head, is the fact that the few low xxxx domains I sold last year I would also consider in this league - so maybe I got lucky with those. But I'm rethinking the whole thing because in previous years there were more sales of these domains that brought in more than enough to pay the hosting bills/renewals etc., I'm finding that it isn't the case any more. Either fewer people are seeing the treasure in the trash, or the bar has been raised for the treasure).

 

[foz]

Some are worth reg. fee for a reselling punt (retail).

But whats on offer is similar to what drops every day and I pick those up for £5. So for me I'm not going to pay a premium above that when theirs 30-40 to choose from.

 

[bensd]

IMO opinion it's similar to the housing market and Rob got it spot on.

Good domains/houses will always sell for good money. However, whenever there are more domains/houses available to choose from prices will soften/fall and you have a buyers market.

At the moment there isn't a lot of fresh money around and so if you have a bit of spare cash you can find some nice bargains.

 

[foz]

Houses are infinite. Meaningful domains are finite. Their wills always be a demand for great domains.

 

[bensd]

Houses are infinite. Meaningful domains are finite. Their wills always be a demand for great domains.

I wasn't saying they were exactly the same, just similar.

Similar patterns because people have restricted budgets. As I said above, it's a buyers market and if you have funds available you can get some bargains.

 

[foz]

Sellers can control the market and values (they just have to say no).

 

[bensd]

Sellers can control the market and values (they just have to say no).

Always. You will always have sellers that need the money though

 

[foz]

Yes. Low volume average quality holders will most likely find it unrewarding long term in any financial climate.

 

[Edwin]

I doubt I'd have registered any of them if they were available.

 

[GreyWing]

SpecialBreak(s).co.uk has a really nice ring to it in my opinion. I could see that doing very well.

Procycles also is very catchy...

I'd hang on to them if I were you until an end user comes in for them. Only the reseller market is suffering, end user stuff is flying through the roof.

 

[stender]

Have to agree with Edwin, I wouldn't reg any of them tbh.
Good Names will always sell if priced realisticly. I'm looking to buy some decent names and sites but I can't find anything I consider worth buying.

I think we need more newbies on here as they're the ones that will buy our dregs! most of us regulars are a lot more fussy. We all reg'd a load of crap when we started out but have either learn't come first or second renewal.

 

[BREWSTERS]

Thanks Dave - maybe I need the reality check.
Anyone else ?


I'm starting to let names expire, and although I haven't got to the point where I'd let these names (and the hundreds of others in the same league) expire (I've had low offers on them in the past) I have definitely started to lower my price expectations.

Thinking about it, one of the problems that may inflate the value of these types of domains in my head, is the fact that the few low xxxx domains I sold last year I would also consider in this league - so maybe I got lucky with those. But I'm rethinking the whole thing because in previous years there were more sales of these domains that brought in more than enough to pay the hosting bills/renewals etc., I'm finding that it isn't the case any more. Either fewer people are seeing the treasure in the trash, or the bar has been raised for the treasure).

I'm guessing those xxxx sales were to buyers who came to you? It's not the same when you are trying to force sales through.

December tailed off about mid-way point as usual, but I've had 8 sales since the start of this year all in the £xxx-£xxxx range. Last half of December I couldn't have given stuff away.

With domains, quality + patience = best price.

As others have said, I'd only go for one name from that list of 15, which really should be a £xxxx sale somewhere down the line...maybe more. With a carry-cost of £3.50 a year, what's the rush?