watchtrader.co.uk (£5k)

[m4c]

Not wanting to appear smug in any way - I'm pleased with my first proper domain 'flip' - I paid £105 on DL last August and just got £5k for it.

I reckon that was cheap considering the product value and potential commissions per sale etc, but I priced it to sell as I have other projects I need to invest in.

BTW - Estibot valued it at $0 - that has to be a first in undervaluing a name!

Any thoughts on whether that was a good price for the current market?

 

[GreyWing]

Hi Mate

Nice to see you got a good price, I think it was one from me wasn't it?

But good work mate, goes to show what can be done. I think I said at the time I had no idea of the value, but seems you did and you put your money where you mouth was, can't fault anyone for that.

 

[m4c]

Thanks

Yes - was one of yours - should give us all confidence that there's still some great names to be caught and traded!

 

[GreyWing]

Sure does, did they come to you or you to them?

 

[m4c]

A web developer wrote to me, saying it was for a client - I told him the price, he went back to the client - paid the same day.

A great way to do business!

and I really hope that they give it the development it deserves - knowing that good 2nd hand watches sell from £1k-£20k it should make a mint in the right hands.

 

[mat]

Right place at the right time?

Or did you go after an end user?

Nice sale.

 

[GreyWing]

Excellent mate, great investment then. I must admit I wouldn't have spotted it, but then again never owned a watch in my life until this year a £10 watch at that.

 

[Frog]

Not wanting to appear smug in any way - I'm pleased with my first proper domain 'flip' - I paid £105 on DL last August and just got £5k for it.

I reckon that was cheap considering the product value and potential commissions per sale etc, but I priced it to sell as I have other projects I need to invest in.

BTW - Estibot valued it at $0 - that has to be a first in undervaluing a name!

Any thoughts on whether that was a good price for the current market?

I think it was a brilliant price in any market. I think you over paid at £105, and the person involved in putting their client site on it at £5k is a fool who has a lot to answer for, but congratulations on a brilliant sale!

Yes you are right watches go for 20k or more 2nd hand, but that business model works just as well (or better) on a better domain. I dont think "watch trader" is particularly brandable, and it doesn't match up with any search volume (a whole 46 searchers a month according to Adwords!) so the seo benefit is non existent.

I think the developer could have either chosen brandability, or seo, as his main priority, and chosen a significantly better domain at 20% of the price. At 30% he could easily chosen one better in both, imo... But I guess you should be happy at that - you sold something for way more than any rational buyer would have paid

 

[wb]

Completely agree with Frog on this one, I think you got a fantastic price for it but the buyer in my opinion overpaid and was silly not to even try and negotiate (from what you have said).

 

[m4c]

He did try to negotiate - but I held my ground

Considering the strength of the auto / bike / trucktrader.co.uk franchise

and niche examples such as guntrader.co.uk with 11k listings I reckon they got a fair deal - will be interesting to watch [no pun intended] what happens with it.

 

[GreyWing]

I have a few terms that I always look out for and they mean nothing to anyone else but I knopw they always sell. I guess a lot of it is down to personal hunches, don't get me wrong I have plenty that haven't aswell. Just like Luke was told, use the force. If it feels right, then get it bought.

 

[Frog]

He did try to negotiate - but I held my ground :cool

Maybe its the end user who's a fool then, not the designer Either way, someones a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket. When you said "I told him the price, he went back to the client - paid the same day." it just looked like he never even attempted to lower the price.

I'd have been scared to hold my ground on that domain at those sort of prices. I'd certainly have accepted any reasonable 4 figure offer, so well done

 

[wb]

He did try to negotiate - but I held my ground

Did you not feel it was a risky move holding out for a high price not knowing if there would be any other offers coming in at that range again?

Don't get me wrong, I do think you have done very well - but if they had politely declined and decided not to negotiate anywhere near your price then it could have been pretty annoying

 

[m4c]

It's actually a name that I had been looking forward to developing sometime in the future - have never been a collector of watches but I know guys who have 20 or more!

The offer came out of the blue at a time I'm scratching around for funds so figured what the hell - I can register plenty more names with just half of the money

I've already developed knifetrader.co.uk although it hasn't been promoted yet - am still working on the JV deal - but I can see the business behind the name.

I've got motorboattrader.co.uk to deal with sometime in the future - logistics aren't the same but MUCH more fun!

I appreciate there's no SEO at all in the name, its pure brandable but 'it does what it says on the tin' - no question of what the site is about so a memorable name to advertise.

 

[lukeeales]

I think you over paid at £105, and the person involved in putting their client site on it at £5k is a fool who has a lot to answer for, but congratulations on a brilliant sale!

I think its really brandable. I think the above is "domainer mindset". Well played to the thread starter.

 

[Lucky Luke]

We may not think it was worth the £5k, but have a look through some of the bizarre high(ish) value sales for .com and then this sale starts to make sense to the buyer - it does what it says on the tin, is brandable and is uk.

The seller recognised its potential worth and held out for £5k. The buyer knew its worth to him too and paid up.

A good buy for the keen buyer and a good sale for someone that likes the "....trader" franchise.

 

[max99x]

I personally think to an end user which this was obviously sold to it was a good price. I disagree with some people who say its not brandable as I think it is!

great flip though. one of those ones that you could have sat on for years befre someone came to you

 

[HariSeldon]

Great sale for both you and the buyer m4c, congratulations!

the person involved in putting their client site on it at £5k is a fool who has a lot to answer for,

I think the developer could have either chosen brandability, or seo, as his main priority, and chosen a significantly better domain at 20% of the price.

I think you got a fantastic price for it but the buyer in my opinion overpaid

I can't agree with you guys on this.

The client hasn't just thought of this name on the spur of the moment like domainers do, they've probably spent ages coming up with a name that perfectly fits their business re-brand or new venture.

The very first watch on their existing site is £8,495 so seems to me that £5k is relative peanuts to the buyer.

I agree with the two Lukes, this is a very brandable name. I know as domainers we generally prefer generics but most people in retail know that brand is king.

 

[Frog]

We may not think it was worth the £5k, but have a look through some of the bizarre high(ish) value sales for .com and then this sale starts to make sense to the buyer - it does what it says on the tin, is brandable and is uk.

The seller recognised its potential worth and held out for £5k. The buyer knew its worth to him too and paid up.

A good buy for the keen buyer and a good sale for someone that likes the "....trader" franchise.

I personally think to an end user which this was obviously sold to it was a good price. I disagree with some people who say its not brandable as I think it is!

Do neither of you think if I gave you £5k right now, you couldn't come up with a significantly better, brandable watch name for £5k? I agree that it does exactly what it says on the tin, but that also doesn't change the fact that it changed hands for a price that was way North of its actual value, imo.

I think its really brandable. I think the above is "domainer mindset". Well played to the thread starter.

Not at all - I buy domains and develop them, I'm definitely not what you'd call a "domainer" - I'm far more of an end user.

 

[max99x]

for what the name suggest i cant think of many better names, allowing users to buy and sell as well as trade watches online. WatchTrader covers all these angles