PETA Wants Sex.com

PETA has announced their desire to acquire sex.com. Executive Vice President has written this letter to Dom Partners LLC stating:

“Visitors to the newly revamped Sex.com site could watch our sexy Super Bowl ads like “Veggie Love” (about how a vegan diet can enhance your time between the sheets) or watch Alicia Silverstone’s naked testimonial—living proof that a vegan diet does a body good.

They could gaze on sultry ads featuring gorgeous vegetarians, like Pamela Anderson and Owain Yeoman, or join the action and participate in one of our Sexiest Vegetarian contests. They could also read about the many vegan foods that are natural aphrodisiacs.”

Based purely on the above photo, I think that its a great idea; lets see Sex.com and PETA hook up.

The Hidden Cost Behind Domain Name Portfolios

A few weeks ago I received an email from someone who had a large portfolio of domain names for sale. This isn’t unusual, but what can be frustrating is seeing the same mistakes and unrealistic expectations, over and over again.

Consequently, I thought there are some interesting lessons for newcomers to the domaining industry, so I thought I’d share them. For confidentiality reasons I’m not going to reveal any information that could identify the seller or their domains. I have also “rounded out” the numbers below:

Parking Revenue: US$3993 per month
Price: 20 months parking revenue

The knee-jerk reaction for many people will be “$4k a month of parking revenue” is pretty good. From my perspective, it was “What’s the COST to me to keep this portfolio going?” After reviewing the documentation, I saw there were 3,300 domains. Of course, what was omitted from the documents was the COST to renew these domains. I know from experience, it costs about $17 per year for EACH of these domain names (they are ccTLDs). So you do the math…

Registration Fees: $56,200 per year
Parking Income: $47,916 per year
LOSS: -$8,284

Doesn’t look so good anymore does it? Now that is assuming that you are buying the portfolio for parking (not development or splitting it up for domain sales etc..).

The reason I’m pointing this out, is that there are many domains for sale at the moment and many newcomers (both investors and bloggers) to the industry.

If you are just starting out, domain investing can be time consuming and hard work. Don’t fall into the trap of buying up big straight away, you will almost certainly lose your $$$.

Generic & Keyword Auction – Domains Up To $36.65 A Click!

Just awhile ago I just received an email from the guys at Oversee regarding the Snapnames auction at Domainer Mardi Gras.

At first I thought….I’m already overloaded with conferences and auctions … do I really have the time to look at this? Honestly …. I couldn’t resist sneaking a peak and I’m glad I did. Why? Because these names are actually a lot better than some of the domains put up for auction recently.

Take a look at these .coms:

DatingOnline
DiscountDrugstore
OnlineDiscounts
DomainStats
HomeRefinancing
DownloadSoftware
CleanMyCredit
SpamProof
Lawsuits
ChocolateBars
OrganicFoodStores
ForexInvestments
Manufactures
PokerLessons
PublicGolfCourses
PorterhouseSteaks
Toasts
ActingLessons
SaturdayNight
SilverEarrings
WoodShutters

Not bad eh?

So, let me save you some time right now…. Home Refinancing gets $36.65 a CLICK! HELLO!!!!! Download Software gets $1.11 per click and has a local search volume in the USA of 6,120,000 EXACT matches !! Dating Online is another one at $4.73 a click with 22,200 EXACT matches.

You can bid online for these right now! Best of luck.

Latona Auction Stops At TRAFFIC Las Vegas

About an hour ago I received this email (below) from Latonas.

Having seen first hand, the “technical difficulties”, it was the right decision. The auction platform just wasn’t working and there was no real way for online bidders to participate effectively.

This isn’t that unusual for a TRAFFIC auction; you might recall that TRAFFIC DownUnder experienced a similar (but minor) outage.

—-

Due to technical difficulties, we made the difficult decision to pause the auction and restart it tomorrow on Proxibid.com/ricklatona. The new time will be 10:00 am Pacific on Saturday morning. That’s 1:00 pm on the East Coast or 19:00 central European time.

After hundreds of hours of testing our system, it broke. I don’t know what caused it but I promise that I will find out!

I feel just terrible about it and personally responsible. I sincerely apologize to everyone.

I really think stopping the auction when I did was the right thing to do. I just couldn’t let it continue without people having the ability to bid online.

The lots that sold before I paused the auction are going to stay sold. We are starting from where we stopped. Therefore, this will be the lot order:

340    RealEstate.co.za    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
350    Stutter.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
355    HN.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
360    GolfClothing.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
370    FloorDisplays.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
375    W9.ca    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
380    BookBetting.com    300 USD to 400 USD
390    GamblingTours.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
395    ItsComplicated.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
400    Boston.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
410    WFH.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
420    LasVegasGuides.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
425    NaturalMeat.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
430    Meagan.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
440    FreshVegetables.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
450    Suffocate.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
455    LosAngelesPersonals.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
460    FishingSeason.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
470    Forex.ws    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
475    LasVegasInsurance.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
480    Meetings.com    200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
490    Divorce.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
500    DogFigurines.com    300 USD to 400 USD
510    TaxFilingOnline.com    300 USD to 400 USD
520    ORN.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
525    MensSuits.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
530    Sisco.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
540    Squads.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
550    TempLabor.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
555    LGY.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
560    CarStereos.com    150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
570    FiveCard.com and 5Card.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
575    YGA.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
580    LaptopReviews.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
590    Lemons.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
600    Decatur.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
610    Pizza.us (website included)    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
620    CatFood.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
625    Jchat.com    30,000 uSD to 40,000 USD
630    BO.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
640    Dietfood.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
650    Portland.org    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
655    Drun.com    500 USD to 750 USD
660    CardExpert.com    500 USD to 750 USD
670    UFT.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
675    LivePersons.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
680    JV.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
690    Gels.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
700    MotorcycleHelmets.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
710    eProfits.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
720    Sandra.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
725    VoiceOverIP.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
730    CPAParking.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
740    LasVegasBlackjackTournaments.com    300 USD to 400 USD
750    BabyFood.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
755    BroadwayShows.com    800,000 USD to 1,000,000 USD
760    Consequences.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
770    SeniorCitizens.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
780    FreePorn.co.uk    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
790    Elizabeth.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
800    CamSex.com, CamSex.name, CamSex.mobi, CamSex.biz    250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
810    Sentimental.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
820    Joan.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
830    Wine.us    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
840    Washington.biz    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
850    Gadsden.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
860    DogRace.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
870    DrumStools.com    750 USD to 1,000 USD
880    RunningBack.com    500 USD to 750 USD
890    Teen.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
900    AllenPark.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
910    Dietician.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
920    Savvy.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
930    LongIsland.com    undisclosed reserve
940    Copyrighted.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
950    ImportedWines.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
960    Avatars.com    400,000 USD to 500,000 USD
970    Houston.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
980    Illusionist.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
990    Kathryn.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1000    MovieTheaterFurniture.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1010    RushJob.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1020    Scripture.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1025    TarjetasdeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCards.com In Spanish    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1026    TarjetadeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCard.com In Spanish    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1030    Veggies.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1040    HuntingLicenses.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1050    HuntingSeason.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1060    ZR.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1070    eWagers.com    500 USD to 750 USD
1080    Dough.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1090    Deliver.ca    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1100    Zoom.ca    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1110    Murrieta.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1120    HouseBuyers.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1130    HouseBuyer.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1140    AntiqueMotorcycles.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1150    CEORecruiters.com    750 USD to 1,000 USD
1160    AdMetrics.com and AdMetrix.com Portfolio Lot includes: AdMetrics.com | .net | .org | .co.uk | .eu | .ws | .biz    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1170    WCX.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1180    AEIOU.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1190    eTeen.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1200    Smelly.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1210    FileHost.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1220    EstateAppraisers.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1230    N.co.za    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1240    Schizophreniac.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1250    Treinta.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1260    Avengers.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1270    Astronauts.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1280    DryRoastedPeanuts.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1290    SkinnyPill.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1300    StampCollectors.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1310    Menos.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1320    TheAmazon.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1330    CoolShirts.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1340    Patty.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1350    SecondLanguage.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1360    POS.com    500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
1370    Fly.co.za    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1380    GoToHell.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1390    Handicap.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1400    BF.com    300,000 USD to 400,000 USD
1410    GoldMines.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1420    DMCA.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1430    DudleyEngland.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1440    Antihistamine.com and Antihistimine.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1450    Consensual.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1460    Interning.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1470    Automating.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1480    Hear.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1490    LowCarb.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1500    Order.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1510    TanningEquipment.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1520    Aristocracy.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1530    InternationalBanking.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1540    Suer.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1550    Thrilled.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1560    CoverBet.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1570    RagsToRiches.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1580    Actresses.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1590    CityZoo.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
1600    SecondJobs.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1610    Blackjackers.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1620    FreshGeorgiaPeaches.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1630    eClassicCars.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1640    Banquets.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1650    CasinoStyleGames.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1660    MuscleTension.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1670    Parables.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1680    TaxInformation.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1690    BasketballPlayers.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1700    Purchased.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1710    PayOffBills.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1720    Otologist.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1730    Buttercup.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1740    Divider.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1750    Beverage.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1760    500.fr    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1770    LesHommes.fr    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1780    LesFemmes.fr    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1790    NDL.es    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1800    BVP.ca    500 USD to 750 USD
1810    LKB.ca    500 USD to 750 USD
1820    Paged.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1830    Vegas.cm    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1840    BlackDeath.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1850    Wrestlers.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1860    HYB.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1870    ImmigrationService.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1880    Reducing.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1890    Clarinet.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1900    Inhibitors.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1910    Crises.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1920    SportsPhotography.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1930    FamilyStress.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1940    SeasonPasses.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1950    Duplicity.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1960    Selma.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1970    Hoodwink.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1980    Rent.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
1990    ASP.com    500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
2000    SaltedPeanuts.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2020    ConsultingFirms.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2030    ASP.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
2040    USBMemoryStick.com    500 USD to 750 USD
2050    Ceremony.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
2060    Enlargements.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2070    CreditCardBilling.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2080    Printed.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2090    DataTransfers.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2100    Hexes.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2110    Offshore.info    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2120    Hell.com    600,000 USD to 700,000 USD
2130    BeautyQueen.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2140    EGY.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2150    Errol.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2160    FreeWallpapers.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2170    SoftwareDesigners.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2180    Gambling.gr    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2190    Blessing.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2200    FaceValue.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2210    Laid.com    250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
2220    BellyRing.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2230    RVP.net    750 USD to 1,000 USD
2240    CustomerService.com    undisclosed reserve
2250    Benchmarks.com    200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
2260    Descarga.com    700,000 USD to 800,000 USD
2270    Fifths.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2280    Homeowner.com    150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
2290    Meg.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2300    CertifiedHomeInspectors.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2310    iCommemorate.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2320    Cognac.cm    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2330    STX.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2340    Romance.com    undisclosed reserve
2350    DVDDrive.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2360    DVDDrives.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2370    WirelessAdapter.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2380    SafePC.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555    Chandeliers.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565    DogFood.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575    FurCoats.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585    MinkCoats.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2380    SafePC.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555    Chandeliers.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565    DogFood.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575    FurCoats.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585    MinkCoats.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2605    Interacts.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2615    WineRooms.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2625    InternetServiceProviders.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2635    WrappingPaper.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2655    EG.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD

[LIVE] Auction Results From TRAFFIC Las Vegas

Latonas auction at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas got off to a very rocky start. The online bidding system wasn’t working properly and the auction stopped twice in the first 10 minutes. Putting aside the usual 6 second delay in video feeds, the current lots and bids were not being updated.

Here are the domain sales results for the first 10 domains auctioned off:

Atlanta.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

LeadershipSeminar.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Business
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Sold: $700 (AusBid)

Guavas.com
2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
Category: Food and Beverage
Latonas Estimated Price: 2,400
Current Bid: $2,000 (in room)

EngineeringDegrees.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Education
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $2,400 (sold to Channel)

PostalCodes.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $5,000

Two minute break as we “went down online“.

Layaways.com
5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
Category: Shopping
Latonas Estimated Price: 6,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Washington.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Second break, lasting about 5-10 minutes.

Sunburns.com
1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
Category: Health
Latonas Estimated Price: 1,500
Sold: $2,002 (to impulse)

Troops.com
Category: Society
Latonas Estimated Price: 20,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

BlackjackTrainingSoftware.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Casino and Gaming
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Given the technical issues it will be interesting to see if online bidders continue to participate in auctions at conferences, rather than bid online at sites such as Sedo or Snapnames.

Trellian Acquires DomainState At Auction

The auction for Domainstate has ended, with the successful bidder being none other than an Aussie local (to me anyway). Congrats go to David Warmuz and the guys over at Trellian – you might also know them as above.com.

Halvarez Stimulus Check From Snapnames

Many of us including Acro and myself have been discussing Halvarez for years – look at this thread on DNF. This isn’t anything new. Having experienced this first hand, you can see the date and time stamps I posted in the thread!

Unfortunately we may never REALLY know what went on. What is good, is that Snapnames had the guts (some could call it a moral obligation or duty of care) to admit they had a problem and are in the process of addressing it.

Can I suggest a few questions to be added to their FAQ:

Q1. Given all the noise (some could call it evidence) in the industry, why has it taken us 4 years and 8 months to identify this?

Q2. Given due diligence, accounting standards, segregation of duties etc.. how come we failed to identify this in the first place?

————-

• Bidding affected approximately five percent of total SnapNames auctions since 2005, most of which occurred between 2005 and 2007.
• The incremental revenue from the bidding represented approximately one percent of SnapNames’ auction revenue since 2005.

• Enhanced monitoring of bidding activity for suspect behavior
• Additional controls over financial transactions
• Specific domain name registration policies for employees

SnapNames, and all in the Oversee family of companies, are deeply disappointed with this incident.  Since its founding in 2000, SnapNames has been committed to the principles of fairness and trust; the company wants to assure customers—through both words and actions—that it remains committed to those principles.

Auctions Crack Down On Shill Bidding

Domain name auctions are now starting to give the appearance of cracking down on non paying bidders.

Last week, Dynadot send me an email regarding users that were shill bidding in their expired auctions. Here is a picture of one such user:

Dynadot stated: “Effective immediately, if an auction order is not paid, our system will automatically ban the user from participating in any future auctions.”

Following hot on their heals, I received two email from Snapnames about an hour ago saying that the auctions for domainster.com and fullsize.com will be run again. Yes, I was in both auctions and was amazed by the sudden price increase towards the end.

Lets see how this one goes.

Should They Really Auction Off Wealth.com?

I was reading this article around TheInternetCompany, selling the domain name ‘wealth.com’ at a private auction run by Sedo. They want 2.9M and the VP was quoted as saying “we believe that now is the right time to monetize this asset and that an auction, rather than a traditional sale, is the best strategy“.

For the record, I disagree that “now is the right time”. Of course, I don’t know if there are financial issues/reasons behind the sale. However, if there were no issues, I’d hold onto it given the environment.

For those people who are “strapped for cash” and need to sell, feel free to get in contact and I’ll take those little gems off your hands. In a strange coincidence…. while typing this post I was sent a portfolio of 400+ domains looking for a new home.

What do you think about wealth.com? Should they auction it off?

For Sale: Facebook Vanity Names – Welcome To Socialsquatting?

Just 24 hours after the launch of the facebook vanity URL, we are seeing people starting to sell.

• biggestlooser – $8,000
  rebate – $60,000
  tonightshow – $15,000
  sexvideo – $17,000

All these names are available at assetize.com, a site for buying and selling accounts including Facebook, Twitter, GMail and Wordpress. People seem to be buying accounts; one recent sale for a Twitter account called m*r with 7,851 followers apparently sold for US$1,250.00.

What do you think about this practice? Is it “socialsquatting”, the result of a free and open market? Is there really any value to having that niche keyword on a social media site?