debate Let's be real, most successful domainers are people who registered domains 15-30 years ago

[Siggy2500]

This is what nobody talks about.

Decades ago, lets say roughly 25 years ago, when the internet was in its golden age, domains were in abundance and many good names were available, the average person could usually register the domain he needed without it being taken.

Domaining is not futureproof, not sustainable, it's more of an early-internet thing, even now the internet is still very young if you think about it, BUT, as the internet gets older and more people are using it, computers are advancing, the demand increases and all the half-decent domains get sucked up, even with the new TLDs. The new TLDs are overpriced, and nothing will ever compare to when the internet was fairly new, when good domains were available & free and without having to pay thousands of dollars or even millions for them.

Now, today, more than 20 years after the dot-com bubble, realistically, no domains are available for registering, only the pickers are left and if you want to get a good domain in your collection, you have to buy it at a premium and pray someone is going to buy it, and I don't think people really profit much from that at all, because it's likely that the would-be buyer is another domainer or as the nerds call it, "domain investor" like you, and I guess if the domainer or would-be buyer is smart he wouldnt buy the domain at any higher price than you did yourself because then he would have to resell it even higher if he's trying to make a profit just like you did. Then the price continues to become so high that there isn't much room left to profit off the domain within the domaining industry, then again there are chances it gets purchased by a business or individual interested in it, and then that domain goes out of public circulation and gets used as a website, with only the trash pickers left within the domaining industry.

Nobody wants domains ending in, for example: .xyz and other ugly similarities, even if you get a good domain with such ugly endings it's still realistically worthless, be real. The only TLDs in which "good" domains are worth anything are .COM, .NET and .AI, etc and that only being said if your website has traffic, it's true if you are a logical person and not a trash hoarder. The only domains which have value are high traffic domains, and if you have an ugly TLD domain, for example .xyz with high traffic, good for you, your domain has physical people entering it, then I can make an exception and consider it "valuable".

And finally, domains are not property which means you do not own them, you only have the right to use them and that is only so if you pay the yearly fee. Domains aren't property, therefore they have no book value, no officially recognized value because as I said, it's not property. It's only speculation and it's up to the so called "domain investors" what the market value for it is.

Different can be said about high traffic domains, as I said above, they have physical backing behind them in the form of customers (humans), which are important for generating revenue for a website. The only way you can make a domain "valuable" nowadays is by developing it into a website with traffic.


Alright, that is enough. Now I will be stormed with shit, feel free to thumbs down this post and mass-report me, moderate me or or whatever. I don't care! Just stay mad. Stay edgy!


And feel free to correct any mistake I made in this post, I might take it as advice, it depends.

 

[VadimK]

So, what is the question?

 

[Siggy2500]

So, what is the question?

Didn't ask, I just want to spill some tea.

 

[DomainRecap]

You're absolutely correct that it was a lot easier to make money through domain investing back in the 90's and early 2000's when this was all brand new, not to mention it was cake to drown in unheard of levels of parking revenue during the 2000's.

But that doesn't mean you can't still make money investing in domains, it's just exponentially more difficult and far more capital intensive. You also have to work harder, smarter and longer than your predecessors, and almost certainly will make a lower ROI. But that's true of a lot of things today, in a globalized marketplace with a mushrooming world population.

But hey, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

 

[Jannes]

So I take it that business has been slow and the constant .xyz sales reports irritate the hell out of you?

 

[Siggy2500]

You're absolutely correct that it was a lot easier to make money through domain investing back in the 90's and early 2000's when this was all brand new, not to mention it was cake to drown in unheard of levels of parking revenue during the 2000's.

But that doesn't mean you can't still make money investing in domains, it's just exponentially more difficult and far more capital intensive. You also have to work harder, smarter and longer than your predecessors, and almost certainly will make a lower ROI. But that's true of a lot of things today, in a globalized marketplace with a mushrooming world population.

But hey, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

This is what nobody talks about.

Decades ago, lets say roughly 25 years ago, when the internet was in its golden age, domains were in abundance and many good names were available, the average person could usually register the domain he needed without it being taken.

Domaining is not futureproof, not sustainable, it's more of an early-internet thing, even now the internet is still very young if you think about it, BUT, as the internet gets older and more people are using it, computers are advancing, the demand increases and all the half-decent domains get sucked up, even with the new TLDs. The new TLDs are overpriced, and nothing will ever compare to when the internet was fairly new, when good domains were available & free and without having to pay thousands of dollars or even millions for them.

Now, today, more than 20 years after the dot-com bubble, realistically, no domains are available for registering, only the pickers are left and if you want to get a good domain in your collection, you have to buy it at a premium and pray someone is going to buy it, and I don't think people really profit much from that at all, because it's likely that the would-be buyer is another domainer or as the nerds call it, "domain investor" like you, and I guess if the domainer or would-be buyer is smart he wouldnt buy the domain at any higher price than you did yourself because then he would have to resell it even higher if he's trying to make a profit just like you did. Then the price continues to become so high that there isn't much room left to profit off the domain within the domaining industry, then again there are chances it gets purchased by a business or individual interested in it, and then that domain goes out of public circulation and gets used as a website, with only the trash pickers left within the domaining industry.

Nobody wants domains ending in, for example: .xyz and other ugly similarities, even if you get a good domain with such ugly endings it's still realistically worthless, be real. The only TLDs in which "good" domains are worth anything are .COM, .NET and .AI, etc and that only being said if your website has traffic, it's true if you are a logical person and not a trash hoarder. The only domains which have value are high traffic domains, and if you have an ugly TLD domain, for example .xyz with high traffic, good for you, your domain has physical people entering it, then I can make an exception and consider it "valuable".

And finally, domains are not property which means you do not own them, you only have the right to use them and that is only so if you pay the yearly fee. Domains aren't property, therefore they have no book value, no officially recognized value because as I said, it's not property. It's only speculation and it's up to the so called "domain investors" what the market value for it is.

Different can be said about high traffic domains, as I said above, they have physical backing behind them in the form of customers (humans), which are important for generating revenue for a website. The only way you can make a domain "valuable" nowadays is by developing it into a website with traffic.


Alright, that is enough. Now I will be stormed with shit, feel free to thumbs down this post and mass-report me, moderate me or or whatever. I don't care! Just stay mad. Stay edgy!


And feel free to correct any mistake I made in this post, I might take it as advice, it depends.

Addition: I don't think domaining has much time left before it falls out of relevance, I say there is a decade left, or two at most. The classics of the 2000s are gone, only premium domains will be worth it and the times where people register hundreds of mediocre domains and sell them will not be profitable anymore.

The ''market'' is being bombarded with new TLDs so it's diluting more and more.

Domaining isn't an industry, lets be real. Call yourself investors.

 

[JB Lions]

Addition: I don't think domaining has much time left before it falls out of relevance, I say there is a decade left, or two at most. The classics of the 2000s are gone, only premium domains will be worth it and the times where people register hundreds of mediocre domains and sell them will not be profitable anymore.

Domaining isn't an ''industry''.

People's opinions for the most part are based on their own experiences. So, it's obvious domaining isn't going good for you. These types of threads are always popping up, year after year. I actually had my best year ever, last year. I expect this year to be even better**

Domains aren't going anywhere because the internet isn't going anywhere. There are apps, social media etc but domains/sites you have more control over.

**Of course it's easier if you started earlier but even the "Domain King" just went a year and a half without a sale before getting 2 big ones. Mainly because he prices for home runs while other domainers price for home runs but also, singles, doubles and triples.

While you might not buy something today at a reasonable price and sell for millions, you don't need to, to make a business out of this. You can find domains under $100, under a few hundred and sell them for thousands all day long.

There are people that have started in the last few years/recently that are making a living from this. What's the difference between them and other people into domains? It's like any other business out there, it's not for everybody, not everybody is going to be successful at it. Not everybody is supposed to be. If it's not for you and based on your post, that seems to be the case. Maybe, something else is.

Your post really isn't about domaining as a whole, it's more about your experience with it. It seems people are always trying take their personal experience with domaining and act like it's a reflection on all of domaining.

 

[Siggy2500]

So I take it that business has been slow and the constant .xyz sales reports irritate the hell out of you?

People's opinions for the most part are based on their own experiences. So, it's obvious domaining isn't going good for you. These types of threads are always popping up, year after year. I actually had my best year ever, last year. I expect this year to be even better**

Domains aren't going anywhere because the internet isn't going anywhere. There are apps, social media etc but domains/sites you have more control over.

**Of course it's easier if you started earlier but even the "Domain King" just went a year and a half without a sale before getting 2 big ones. Mainly because he prices for home runs while other domainers price for home runs but also, singles, doubles and triples.

While you might not buy something today at a reasonable price and sell for millions, you don't need to, to make a business out of this. You can find domains under $100, under a few hundred and sell them for thousands all day long.

There are people that have started in the last few years/recently that are making a living from this. What's the difference between them and other people into domains? It's like any other business out there, it's not for everybody, not everybody is going to be successful at it. Not everybody is supposed to be. If it's not for you and based on your post, that seems to be the case. Maybe, something else is.

Your post really isn't about domaining as a whole, it's more about your experience with it. It seems people are always trying take their personal experience with domaining and act like it's a reflection on all of domaining.

Domaining currently has a half-life of 10-20 years at the moment I am pretty sure, it will be dying from now on regardless of what I've said.

 

[JB Lions]

Domaining currentlt has a half-life of 10-20 years at the moment, it will be dying from now on regardless of what I've said.

It's dead/dying for you. Since you failed at this, you're really not in any position to make any predictions. You're saying the same things other failed domainers said 10 years ago, when this forum first started etc. Your post is nothing new, not very original.

 

[Siggy2500]

It's dead/dying for you. Since you failed at this, you're really not in any position to make any predictions.

What makes you think I have failed?
Of what genes do you think you are to be saying that other people have failed solely by assumption, through a computer screen

I stated my opinions and instead of looking at my opinions you go and talk about how you think of me

Priorities first

 

[BaileyUK]

I'm constantly surprised by the number of angry or even just frustrated people that enter domaining. This is a sh*t business, but I'm here, so I'm going to vent my anger that really, I don't have a clue what I'm doing or understand why domains sell. So instead of directing my frustration at myself (I can't accept that) I'll have a pop at all and everything else

Let me tell you despite your beliefs. Domaining in the late 90's wasn't easy, the best domains had been snapped-up years before that. $70 registration and $70 yearly renewals. Probably around the equivalent of $200 a pop today. Do you honestly think somebody like you would have been willing to throw thousands of dollars at what was no-more than a Punt. Nothing about the internet take-up and development was certain back then. Sorry OP but you definitely don't have the strength of character to make a success either today or back then.

I certainly considered myself sweeping up the poor relations in domains even in 1999. but in time they rose up into desirables, trouble being that took a lot of years. I don't think you would have the patience to study the market and then apply a 'Marketers' mindset to your purchases

 

[JB Lions]

What makes you think I have failed?
Of what genes do you think you are to be saying that other people have failed solely by assumption, through a computer screen

I stated my opinions and instead of looking at my opinions you go and talk about how you think of me

Priorities first

It's pretty obvious based on your posts and the need you have to post under a new name, instead of the one you usually post under. If you did, I bet it would be pretty easy to figure out why you're failing by simply going over your past posts. Let's take a look, what name do you usually post under here?

 

[Siggy2500]

I'm constantly surprised by the number of angry or even just frustrated people that enter domaining. This is a sh*t business, but I'm here, so I'm going to vent my anger that really, I don't have a clue what I'm doing or understand why domains sell. So instead of directing my frustration at myself (I can't accept that) I'll have a pop at all and everything else

Let me tell you despite your beliefs. Domaining in the late 90's wasn't easy, the best domains had been snapped-up years before that. $70 registration and $70 yearly renewals. Probably around the equivalent of $200 a pop today. Do you honestly think somebody like you would have been willing to throw thousands of dollars at what was no-more than a Punt. Nothing about the internet take-up and development was certain back then. Sorry OP but you definitely don't have the strength of character to make a success either today or back then.

I certainly considered myself sweeping up the poor relations in domains even in 1999. but in time they rose up into desirables, trouble being that took a lot of years. I don't think you would have the patience to study the market and then apply a 'Marketers' mindset to your purchases

 

[JB Lions]

Just a quick search, some other threads like this over the years, there are many more:

DNS dying? - this one was almost 19 years ago

The death of domaining?

Domain industry is dying slowly?

The domain gravy train has passed

Is domaining becoming a "Nigerian" Scam?

Is Domaining basically one giant pyramid scheme?

Googlenet to kill Domaining?!

Buying/Selling - Is it Time to Quit Domaining?

How long can you hold on?
------
My guess is that it probably wasn't going well for most of those people who started those threads.

Same thing when I started in affiliate marketing full time in 2002*. Every year, affiliate marketing is dying threads and it usually was for the thread starter.

*Now a full time domainer

 

[Yanosh]

Well
I think you need to understand domaining before coming here and spilling opinions about domains future , don’t you think ?
Or at least have some experience

I’ve started domaining about 8 months ago , and i’m not spilling opinions about how difficult it is to be successful being late in it , or giving my opinion on the future of this industry without living it for enough time.

And to be clear , I sold 5 domains in 8 months ( 3 in four fig range)

 

[Zilla]

you are probably right...but people still can earn money via buy-sell if u dont own those name 25 years before...and reg/create new words for new tech/trends.

btw, every generation have their own opportunity...should I become 10 years older to catch 1990~2000 golden time? no..I want been 20 years younger..

 

[pb]

Newsflash: people who took the biggest risk reap the highest rewards.
Or do you think that registering domains 20 years ago and holding them for all this time was free of risk?

 

[domainer361]

when i start, 20 years ago i think what all good names is registered and time is over for this buisness

 

[Keith]

The OP showed his industry knowledge, or lack there of, by stating the following -

“The only TLDs in which "good" domains are worth anything are .COM, .NET and .AI”

First of all, .net is terrible and I’d never buy one. Second of all, .ai will fade. Just wait and you’ll see.

 

[Siggy2500]

It's pretty obvious based on your posts and the need you have to post under a new name, instead of the one you usually post under. If you did, I bet it would be pretty easy to figure out why you're failing by simply going over your past posts. Let's take a look, what name do you usually post under?

This is the only account I have ever made on a domain forum, what even are you talking about?

 

[Siggy2500]

The OP showed his industry knowledge, or lack there of, by stating the following -

“The only TLDs in which "good" domains are worth anything are .COM, .NET and .AI”

First of all, .net is terrible and I’d never buy one. Second of all, .ai will fade. Just wait and you’ll see.

You guys are misunderstanding what I mean by "worth", valuable and "value"

I defined what I think "value" is somewhere in my post, you guys just don't get the entire image.

Domains can only be considered "worth" anything if they have traffic, which brings customers to a potential business.

Most valuable names, domains that can be considered "worth" anything, that is domains with traffic, are within those 3 TLDs, or at least .com Lets cross out .ai and .net that's absolutely not true. I made a mistake in my post, my bad.

 

[Siggy2500]

This is what nobody talks about.

Decades ago, lets say roughly 25 years ago, when the internet was in its golden age, domains were in abundance and many good names were available, the average person could usually register the domain he needed without it being taken.

Domaining is not futureproof, not sustainable, it's more of an early-internet thing, even now the internet is still very young if you think about it, BUT, as the internet gets older and more people are using it, computers are advancing, the demand increases and all the half-decent domains get sucked up, even with the new TLDs. The new TLDs are overpriced, and nothing will ever compare to when the internet was fairly new, when good domains were available & free and without having to pay thousands of dollars or even millions for them.

Now, today, more than 20 years after the dot-com bubble, realistically, no domains are available for registering, only the pickers are left and if you want to get a good domain in your collection, you have to buy it at a premium and pray someone is going to buy it, and I don't think people really profit much from that at all, because it's likely that the would-be buyer is another domainer or as the nerds call it, "domain investor" like you, and I guess if the domainer or would-be buyer is smart he wouldnt buy the domain at any higher price than you did yourself because then he would have to resell it even higher if he's trying to make a profit just like you did. Then the price continues to become so high that there isn't much room left to profit off the domain within the domaining industry, then again there are chances it gets purchased by a business or individual interested in it, and then that domain goes out of public circulation and gets used as a website, with only the trash pickers left within the domaining industry.

Nobody wants domains ending in, for example: .xyz and other ugly similarities, even if you get a good domain with such ugly endings it's still realistically worthless, be real. The only TLDs in which "good" domains are worth anything are .COM, .NET and .AI, etc and that only being said if your website has traffic, it's true if you are a logical person and not a trash hoarder. The only domains which have value are high traffic domains, and if you have an ugly TLD domain, for example .xyz with high traffic, good for you, your domain has physical people entering it, then I can make an exception and consider it "valuable".

And finally, domains are not property which means you do not own them, you only have the right to use them and that is only so if you pay the yearly fee. Domains aren't property, therefore they have no book value, no officially recognized value because as I said, it's not property. It's only speculation and it's up to the so called "domain investors" what the market value for it is.

Different can be said about high traffic domains, as I said above, they have physical backing behind them in the form of customers (humans), which are important for generating revenue for a website. The only way you can make a domain "valuable" nowadays is by developing it into a website with traffic.


Alright, that is enough. Now I will be stormed with shit, feel free to thumbs down this post and mass-report me, moderate me or or whatever. I don't care! Just stay mad. Stay edgy!


And feel free to correct any mistake I made in this post, I might take it as advice, it depends.

And note here guys: I will take your comments as advice

It does not "depend"

I did not intend to be toxic.

 

[rh2000]

You guys are misunderstanding what I mean by "worth", valuable and "value"

I defined what I think "value" is somewhere in my post, you guys just don't get the entire image.

Domains can only be considered "worth" anything if they have traffic, which brings customers to a potential business.

Most valuable names, domains that can be considered "worth" anything, that is domains with traffic, are within those 3 TLDs, or at least .com Lets cross out .ai and .net that's absolutely not true. I made a mistake in my post, my bad.

I only invest in .com .net and some .org. I am still stuck on the old TLDs. I have sold more .net than any other TLD for some reason.

 

[DmytroK.]

I don't think newgTLDs are overprised(little remark). Everyone decides for himself what to love. NewgTLDs are important. They are wide field for modern branding. Lot's of modern businesses choose to create their brand like newgTLD (with dot in the middle between two words). Such situation is in my country. I don't know what is in yours.

Just register good newgTLD for regular price, wait for 10 years, and you will be successful, maybe. Like them all. By the end there are a lot of good startups in the internet, like domaining meeting their dawn.

 

[Future Sensors]

Just register good newgTLD for regular price, wait for 10 years, and you will be successful, maybe.

But you may also be broke after those 10 years of waiting.