lexipixel - 9:40 pm on Jan 4, 2012 (gmt 0)

back then they were $100 a pop/year

Someone correct me if I'm wrong -- but, if I remember correctly -- for a short time (up to mid-1993?) domain names were free for the asking. To request one you needed to know how to submit a registration using an email template. Again, if my memory is still intact, to get a name you would send the registration template to "domreg@internic.net", (you would submit the same template with different values to change contact info, nameservers, etc). I may have to fire up one of the old 386's to find a copy of the template and see if I have any records of fees paid from back then.