I keep a list of domains on my desk. These are domains that I would like to get. I go to that list every few days and pick out 1 or 2 and send a quick email. Recently, one of the domains that I sent an email to, came back as undeliverable. So I took the next step and called the phone number associated in the whois with the domain. This time a get a message that the phone is no longer working. The next step was to google the company. That produces many links regarding the firm going bankrupt. I try to find out where in the bankruptcy process the assets are (include the domain name). Unfortunately it just leads to dead ends. I give it it one last effort and contact a lawyer that I found who was once associated with the firm. As we talk he says that he recently received an email regarding the disposal of assets. He no longer had that email but remembered the name of the firm handling it and gave that information to me.
I called the entity that the lawyer gave me and left a message. I received a return phone call later that day. My heart pumped as I waited to hear if the domain had been sold. IT HAD NOT. He immediately asks me to sign an NDA before he can release further info. After faxes back and forth I wait to hear more about the name. In my head I’m thinking that if it was this hard for me to find out about this, there are probably very few bidders. The phone rings. I listen to them and anxiously await the price of the domain. Will it be $25k , 50 k, less , more? The number then flow out of his mouth that to get the name right now it would cost just short of a million dollars. I was not expecting that to be the number. Is it worth it, I’m not sure, but its very industry specific. As of now, I sit on the sidelines trying to figure out the best way to get this name at a reasonable price. If not for the NDA, I would mention the name. I will keep you informed as I know more.
A few days ago, I walked down that exact path – this is also concerning a domain that belong to a company that recently went bankrupt.
You gotta dig to find gold! Nice job. Hope he is realistic on his price. If he is not, who else is going to pay that amount. If he won’t sell, offer to broker the domain for him with a base price. If it doesn’t sell then maybe you can buy it cheaper.
Nice when you find a contact that others cannot but REALLY sucks when they want a high price.
My last find cost $500 for an international tourist destination vacation domain.
Always dig. There’s plenty of gold out there.
If you guys really think ipad.com is worth a million dollars to apple,
then how much is i-pad.com worth?
You can buy it right now for only $3250.
i-phone.com, i-pod.com is not owned by apple…so i guess apple doesn’t want i-pad.com either!
iphone.com, ipod.com, ipad.com …these domain names do not get that much traffic…check the alexa ranking.
I personally think these domains are not worth that much to apple…apple don’t care!