Webmaster World (Moniker Domain Auction)

[AdWords Player]

Does anyone know when the list of domains will be available for the upcoming domain auction (put on by Moniker) at Webmaster World in Las Vegas?

Thanks!

[Laker]

No one knows -- not even those who have names in the auction!

The Moniker site is frozen on:

Featured Live Auction Inventory

Moniker is currently processing all domain submissions and will provide an official auction inventory very shortly.

Please check back on this page for more information.

A weeks notice to potential bidders is horrible, IMNHO. And it very well may be less than a weeks notice.

[Chris_Mohr]

It's less than a week now.

I'm looking forward to seeing the list. I imagine they're busy with the auction at the Casino Affiliate Convention in Macao.

Maybe a portion of the names that don't sell there will get carried over.

[Webwork]

Perhaps someone has inferred that the PubCon audience isn't where the money is at for domain auctions. Most domain auctions, to date, have taken place in the context of "domain conferences".

One can only hope that, in retrospect, this auction is seen as an intelligent "first move" into moving the auction-aftermarket into the enduser-developer marketplace-meeetingplace, an "auction place" where I would expect to see more dollars to begin flowing.

People active in the domain aftermarket talk about domain values being unleashed from parking PPC revenue models of valuation IF and WHEN the domain aftermarket-auctionmarket meets up with the developers. What better place to start than an event like PubCon?

I think the domain auction at the recent affiliate summit proved to be a bit of a bust. I assume some lessons were learned from that. However, if lessons were learned it doesn't appear that one of the lessons learned was to develop the domain auction list early and get the word out, eh? :-/

I predict another bust.

My best guess would be that an auction of about ~100+ domains, targeting ecom/affiliate, priced in the $5K-25K, with a handful of $25-$100K domains would likely be the best approach - if the list was published at least a month in advance.

I suspect that, in the not too distant future, all the major players will get together to choose and submit domains tailored to such events. Moniker+Sedo+Afternic/BuyDomains+?. By now each should have the domain analysis technology to pull together lists of domains that would be well suited for auctions in particular markets. The players might not perceive an immediate and significant ROI for the time invested in collaborating right now but I suspect that a bit more "auction success" would benefit all of them by helping the aftermarket to mature, prove its mettle and generate a bit more "buzz of successful auctions". Well designed and executed auctions will likely increase the chance of success at future auctions. Poorly designed and executed auctions will likely have the opposite effect as people lose interest in following them.

[Laker]

Well ... notwithstanding that Moniker's page still displays the same banner, there is now a
LINK [marketplacepro.moniker.com] available to "Download the Master Auction Inventory List" for the Webmaster World PubCon Auction. [For some reason this board won't allow posting of the actual link itself.]

While I haven't looked at all 1,173 domains in the entire list, I can't say I was overly excited ... after all the "Theme" of this PubCon domain auction is "Premium Domains".

Somehow xmas.cc, findfriends.info, publicopinionpolls.com, suggestionboard.com, and votehillary2008.org don't match my definition of "Premium Domains" ...

I did note that many (most?) of the domains that didn't sell in the last Moniker auction have been recycled into this one ... maybe tourettes.com will have a taker in the Premium Auction :-¦ ... or the 40-character "premium" domain that had no-interest last time: unitedstatesimmigrationandnaturalization.com.

No word, of course, on what names will be in the live auction ...

[walkman]

not sure about auctions /domains: i was told that a certain name of mine would be worth 1/10th of what I make a year from it. But then, I didn't say it's a site with revenue, just a name.

[smartpc]

It appears monikers idea of a premium domain, is a domain that somebody shows interest in by clicking in there aftermarket, so a simple way to game the system, of which I doubt many are at already is you put your domain in, then get a couple of friends to click the interest button, then hey presto your a premium domain for completerubbish.at.com.sg.vy

[Laker]

It appears monikers idea of a premium domain, is a domain that somebody shows interest in by clicking in there aftermarket, so a simple way to game the system

My information is that Monte reviews all of the submissions himself ...

I might feel better about the final cut were it simply a result of click counts ...

[smartpc]

If interest is shown in a domain by a buyer previous to the auction of course it gets bumped up the list.

[phranque]

[pubcon.com...]

[Laker]

-- from the above linked press release:

Moniker.com to Hold Premium Domain Name Auction at PubCon Las Vegas 2007

--- Thousands of Names Available including ...

I think Moniker has dropped the ball big-time on this PubCon Auction ...

The fact is there aren't "thousands of names" available. Not yet anyway. Their downloadable "Master Auction Inventory List" boasts 1,173 domain names.

Moniker reps say, as recently as yesterday that there will be some 3,000 names in the "final list".

PubCon begins in 4 days.

And Moniker's site continues to banner: "Moniker is currently processing all domain submissions and will provide an official auction inventory very shortly."

webwork nailed it when he said "Well designed and executed auctions will likely increase the chance of success at future auctions. Poorly designed and executed auctions will likely have the opposite effect as people lose interest in following them."

I cannot imagine an auction less well designed than this.

[vincevincevince]

Much lower reserves would do these auctions a world of good. It's the possibility of getting hold of something below market value which drives prospective bidders at auctions. Otherwise, unless I have a particular reason to want a particular domain (i.e. it's key to my corporate sector) I'll not turn up and instead spend my time on other ways to get a domain where there's less focused competition...