Making an offer for a domain name.?

[larsad]

I am about to try and make a bid for a domain that was previously the home of a video-game related community forum. We lost the domain because the previous owner didn't want to pay for it anymore, and it has since been unused, just points to an advertising portal.

The community we once had had at the most about 100 active members, but it's doubtful we'd get back to that, since it's been over two years since it went down.

We have been in contact with the current owners, and they have told us to make an offer, so my question then is.. what would be a fair offer?

I would be thankful for any helpful advice. :)

[tangor]

$50 bucks... and you'll take over the continuing renewal costs since they've had it for two years and not made a nickel off it.

And if 100 is your target audience, might look at a different path: for $10 (domain) and $10 a month you can do the same thing over... and only spend $30 (two months to see if it works) and still be $20 better off.

[wheel]

I am about to try and make a bid for a domain that was previously the home of a video-game related community forum.

Why on earth would you do that?

My opinion is that there is a lot less good will left in that domain than you probably think there is.

There's a forum in my niche at {niche}forums.com. A member jumped ship, went to {niche}-forums.net and now has all the traffic. The community figured it out, and now just goes to the domain with a dash on the .net. No problems at all.

I'd pay $8 for a new domain rather than pay someone for a 2 year old defunct one.

Or as tangor says, if you just like the name, I'd pay about $50 for it and leave it at that - there simply isn't any more value to it than that.

[larsad]

Hehe.. well, that's just the thing. It has some sentimental value for the few of us who still keep in touch. But that's what we're trying to figure out - how much is sentimentality worth? :)

But of course you have some good and valid points, and It's looking more and more likely that we'll just establish a new name. Thanks guys!

[Webwork]

I love practical, "elegant" (in their simplicity) solutions . . and guidance - freely given - that results in such outcomes.

Nice work, y'all. ;)

[sundaridevi]

The only problem with

{niche}forums.com vs. {niche}-forums.net

Is that {niche}forums.com can attack the "-" version for trademark infringement if they consider that they still have an active trademark and the "-" is in the same industry. At least in the USA you can.

I had an offer for a domain and found out that the guy who wanted to buy it wanted to start a new game development company using the same name as our old game development company. We just had a splash screen with a logo there, so I told him he could buy the domain but he might have trademark issues because another guy in a different industry had established a "-" version of our domain name. I never worried about him because I thought his product was cool and knew we would never lose any business because of him. But if the new guy tried to start up again, he wouldn't have the advantage of first use unless he bought the company as well...but I wasn't willing to sell it.

The legal issues turned out to be quite complex, and the guy who was bidding was convinced his IP lawyer friend who took a week to answer every question, was better counsel than a paid lawyer (even though he had offered me $5000 for the domain). Finally I just sold the domain to the "-" guy for just a bit less, and he was happy to get it and lock in the trademark.