Domains

Generic domain names

Before the web happened, there was FTP and email and Gopher. In those days, I was entranced by how much domain-names resembled the call-letters I used to get for radio stations — very cool way to “name” things. So, long before the domain-name land-rush, I got a handful of generic domain names. The list includes bar.com, grill.com, pub.com, shelter.com, cafes.com, and a few that got sold — corp.com, place.com, haven.com, ing.com and company.com.

Interesting stories

Presentation to TRAFFIC  I used this deck to make the case that these “domain name things” were gonna become more and more important to the folks that showed up at TRAFFIC-NYC (in 2007).  The words are still true, although some of the domains that “sponsored” the pages of the deck have been sold.  Click here for the PDF.

bar.com – here’s a story that ran in the New York Times about how the poor Foo got swamped with spam back around 2001.  He gets a lot more spam now.  Click here for the story.

corp.com – a dangerous domain that finally made its way to the right place.  It sure took a long time to get there.  Click here for the story, and here for the followup.

Before you approach me about the ones I still have, please read this FAQ about my domains. It will dampen your enthusiasm, I bet.

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.

Is this domain for sale?

I’m not actively marketing these domains. I had schemes in mind for each, but…  I’m better at dreaming up ideas than executing them.  On the other hand, everything’s for sale if the right offer comes along. I’m just not a terribly motivated seller.

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.

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

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 bring in a lot of traffic;
Bar.com
Cafes.com
Grill.com
Pub.com
Shelter.com

How do I get your attention?

Here are some tips.

  • I get between 50 and 200 “inquiries” a week.  The vast majority are either robots with generic text or “consultants” that make silly-low offers.  I no longer respond to those.  At.  All.
  • Go look the domain up in Estibot (www.estibot.com).  No, that’s not the offering price, that’s to alert you that you may not be contemplating enough digits in your offer.
  • Send an actual hand-crafted note.
  • Include an offer that won’t make me roll my eyes or laugh out loud.
  • Also include enough information that I can research your legitimacy.  I ignore email from people that don’t turn up in search.

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.