Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

blog.lob.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–66 of 66 posts

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#61

Post by larrys »

mietek wrote: post #28
larrys wrote: post #21

As someone who both buys and sells domain names (and particularly 3 letter .com's since 1996) let me point a few things out. I might also mention that I am the go to guy for a few well known VC's that you have heard of although that is not my main business at all (although it could be it just doesn't pay that well compared to other things I spend time on.) This statement: "Within a day or 2 we started getting respons…

> People in the business can be jerks and unreasonable for sure but it would be more likely for someone to "ask" for 100k or simply say "domain is not for sale" than to say "7 figures" (2 letter, possible, 3 letter, specifically "all of the responses", no. FWIW, here's an email I received when enquiring about a 3-letter domain name: Thank you for your interest in this domain name This domain name is among our most pr…

No matter how many inquiries you get (and as I've mentioned you don't get many inquiries per name but in total if you own thousands of domains you get many inquiries) it normally pays to at least find out who you are dealing with and why they want the domain (size them up) prior to quoting any price expectation etc.

Curious what the domain was I've seen that letter before but can't place the seller that uses that.

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#62

Post by GoodIntentions »

fsckin wrote: post #22
GoodIntentions wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If someone had stolen ID _and_ checkbook, it might not have been the person you thought you were dealing with. I don't know if you looked into the winery / called it or whatever, but I'd have wanted some way to establish with fair certainty who I was dealing with beforehand. ( and probably would have accepted a check like you did given the amount. ) A surprising number of people don't know a check can be pulled back…

Bitcoin is exceedingly unlikely to be reversed after 6 confirmations (45 minutes or so).

Good point. Dinna think about BC

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#63

Post by jtheory »

dcuthbertson wrote: post #56
jtheory wrote: post #51

There's a problem to be solved here -- is there a way to buy/sell domain names ONLY to people who will actually use them? I have a bunch of domains that I've registered over the years, with plans for side projects that haven't yet been realized. Some of them are probably moderately valuable. Over the years I've let some expire that I was sure I wasn't going to use, and those are all registered nowadays... but NONE of…

How on earth does one distinguish between someone like yourself, who buys a domain name with a plan to use it in a project, from someone who just wants to sit on it until a high bidder comes along? > I'd love a way to have a sort of long-term escrow for a domain name, so I could let someone use it for an actual project... and if they get some traction, I'll sell it automatically for a fairly low price, and if they ab…

> How on earth does one distinguish between

By asking them?

> How is that different behavior from a squatter? You're just sitting on a domain until someone comes along who meets your criteria

I don't register the domain in the first place unless I have a good idea for what I'd like to do with it. I'm not registering them to sell... but I recognize that someone else may well also have a solid project idea, and the time right now to execute on it.

I'd like a way to graciously give way to those people.

If there is no such way, then I'll just keep the domain until I have the time to do the project I had in mind.

> Nor would I want to see a vetting policy established.

I think you misunderstood. I don't want a general vetting policy, just a way for (the minority) of people who feel domains should actually be used, to transfer domains among themselves.

> Part of the beauty of the current system, is that anyone can buy an unused domain on a whim.

Sure, I'm not talking about changing that. I'm just trying to create a third choice, beyond "I don't have time for my idea yet, so I'll sit on this domain until I'm ready" vs. "I'll let this domain expire and it definitely will be squatted when I'm ready." I want a 3rd option that recognizes that other people have project ideas.

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#64

Post by jtheory »

ScottWhigham wrote: post #57
jtheory wrote: post #51

There's a problem to be solved here -- is there a way to buy/sell domain names ONLY to people who will actually use them? I have a bunch of domains that I've registered over the years, with plans for side projects that haven't yet been realized. Some of them are probably moderately valuable. Over the years I've let some expire that I was sure I wasn't going to use, and those are all registered nowadays... but NONE of…

I don't know of such a service, nor does it seem reasonable that "the market" would want such a service. Yes, it's a lofty goal but do you really want to be the "landlord" of the domain for years and years? "Hey, you kids! Keep it down over there!" doesn't sound exciting for either party. You can park it on Sedo for free or you can put up a "For Sale" page on your own. Another idea is to put a line in the WHOIS that…

I can't imagine it would be a business by itself, just a service that a company that already had domain tools could offer at a low price.

I don't imagine it like being a landlord -- the only judgement to be made would be "is this domain in-use" after X amount of time, and if so at that point they would buy it at the pre-arranged price.

If it's not, I'd get it back (and could use it for my own project idea, or let someone else try).

The driving idea is just that I want to use these domains, for a project sometime in the future, but I recognize that someone else's project starting today should trump that (and I don't want to charge them a lot for it).

Given that I don't want to milk them for a high price, if I just sell, then someone who only plans to resell will buy instead. Then the domain will be unavailable to me, and also off the table for people with project ideas who don't have lots of cash.

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#65

Post by [deleted] »

teh_klev wrote: post #30
larrys wrote: post #21

As someone who both buys and sells domain names (and particularly 3 letter .com's since 1996) let me point a few things out. I might also mention that I am the go to guy for a few well known VC's that you have heard of although that is not my main business at all (although it could be it just doesn't pay that well compared to other things I spend time on.) This statement: "Within a day or 2 we started getting respons…

Ok, you may be the expert at this, and whilst the article may not match your experience and contain some inaccuracies, I don't think there's any real need to be yelling "total BS and hyperbole" and "Total bullshit". Pretty sure you can disagree in a more constructive manner.

[deleted]

Re: The Art of Getting a 3 Letter Domain Name

#66

Post by teh_klev »

ScottWhigham wrote: post #54
teh_klev wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, you may be the expert at this, and whilst the article may not match your experience and contain some inaccuracies, I don't think there's any real need to be yelling "total BS and hyperbole" and "Total bullshit". Pretty sure you can disagree in a more constructive manner.

I think it's called "Calling a spade a spade"[0]. Just because you seem to be offended by profanity does not mean the rest of the world must write in a manner to not offend you. We're all adults here. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade

Not offended by profanity, or even condescending comments such as yours. I'm Scottish and quite an expert at it myself. For such an expert wheeler dealer in the domain name biz, larrys just comes across as being a bit of a dick, I have a rule of thumb in forums and general discussion, don't be a dick.
Post reply on HN