Mike's Pretty Good Domain FAQ

In an effort to reduce my email load and save you time, here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about these domains of mine.

 

  1. Is this domain for sale?

I'm not actively marketing these domains. I really do have a scheme in mind for each, but haven't gotten around to cranking them all up. On the other hand, everything's for sale if the right offer comes along. I'm just not a terribly motivated seller.

  1. How much are you asking?

Without going into a huge long rant, my belief is that these "generic" dot-com domain names were (and are) pretty valuable. They're sort of the Internet version of real estate and I represent the Internet equivalent of a farmer who finds himself next to a rapidly growing city that’s going through rapid boom and bust cycles. So my stupid names (which people thought I was nuts to get) are worth a lot of money (and used to be worth even more).

How much? It's still hard to say. The market for domain names has matured a lot since the early '90's when I got these domains.  There was a period in 1999 and 2000 when prices went crazy.  My take is that it will take another 3 to 5 years for things to really settle down. Please don't write me to debate this point. Consider it the ravings of a lunatic if you like. The point is that I'm reluctant to sell right now because I don't think the market is valuing these names very well at the moment.

That's not an answer, is it… Here's another way to approach that question.

  1. What's the biggest offer you've turned down?

So far the biggest is $1.1 million for bar.com back in the heady days of 1999 when we were all young and the Internet was crazy. Times are different now, but I’m still pretty picky.

  1. Will you take equity instead of cash?

I'll consider it, if the deal and the valuation are right.  But dot-com deals aren’t very attractive these days, so be prepared to win me over.

  1. What are your deal criteria?

These are probably pretty much the same as any venture capitalist would apply. Why? Because basically you are asking me to contribute a valuable asset (instead of cash) to your enterprise and I need to decide whether your idea represents a good risk. So I'm looking for a team of great folks, who have a track record, pursuing a great idea that has a business plan that is likely to succeed. If you're still reading this and still want to contact me about the name, you need to either be prepared to offer a solid chunk of cash or present a solid business plan for me to review.

1.      No no no!  How much are you asking for the domain?

I never set a price for the domains.  If you really really really want it, you have to go first.  Make an offer.

  1. Do you have other domains?

This is a generic page, so I don't know which domain you got here from. Here's a list of the names that get a lot of hits;

In use
           
Haven.com      (This is where my long-standing personal homepage and email server reside)

Someday…

Bar.com
Cafes.com
Corp.com
Grill.com
Place.com
Pub.com
Shelter.com

  1. Bah! I spit on you! You are one of those slimy "cyber-squatters" -- why don't you just give the names back if you're not using them?

To put a fine point on things, I don't consider myself a cyber-squatter. A cyber-squatter is a person who gets domain names with an eye only to selling those names to somebody else -- either a trademark holder, or a business that just hasn't been quite fast enough on the ball. I didn't get these domains for that reason -- I got them because I have an idea for each.

If you look at the list, you'll see that I'm a community type guy -- in most cases these names will some day be used to build communities on the Internet.

But under no circumstances will I just give the names up. Any more than a farmer who finds himself on land that is now worth too much to farm would just give it up.

  1. Have you ever sold a domain?  How much did you get?

Yep, I’ve sold or exchanged several domains.  Nope, I’m not at liberty to tell you the terms of the deals.  The domains were;

- ing.com
- television.com
- company.com

  1. Where can I go to sell a domain?  Are you a broker?  Will you do it for me?

I’m not a broker; I can’t help you sell your domains.  Remember, I’m just a geek who got a handful of interesting names long before the Web happened.  I don’t know anything about the hurly burly of the domain-name marketplace.

Here are some things you can do…

·         List your site with Great Domains.  They’re a pretty big domain-name broker and have a few of the “big” domain deals to their credit.

·         List your site on Ebay.  They’re a pretty big Internet auction place – there are lots of domains for sale.  Mostly people asking, hardly anybody bidding.  Do a search for “domain name” from their homepage and be amazed.

·         Put up a tiny little site on your domain – kinda like this one – that tells the world that the domain is for sale.

But I’m not your man.  I’m clueless.