I think a lot of lessons can be learned from the past, which is why I’m having a sporadic look back at the same period of time, ten years ago. This time, I’m looking back at a few of the big sales from August 2010.
Lottery.net – $220,000
Sold by Sedo in late August 2010, Lottery.net still ranks as the fifth-largest .NET sale of all time, according to NameBio. The top sale, Mobile.net, took place in 2014.
After the Lottery.net sale, the domain was swiftly developed with a general information site about the lottery. According to WHOIS history, the name was acquired by a British company.
By the beginning of 2014, Lottery.net had changed ownership to a US individual, likely signifying that the domain sold for an undisclosed fee. As far as I can tell, ownership has stayed the same since then. Currently, Lottery.net has an active website.
Underdog.com – $46,800
As a British person, the word Underdog is now synonymous with a personal injury brand, so when I saw that Underdog.com sold in August 2010 for $46,800, I was immediately interested in it.
It turns out that the domain was indeed acquired by said personal injury brand. Underdog is a trading name for the National Accident Helpline, which operates on the domain Underdog.co.uk. Smartly, the company made the move to acquire Underdog.com as soon as the Underdog brand and concept was developed.
Today, Underdog.com still redirects to Underdog.co.uk.
980.com – $40,000
By 2020’s standards, the purchase of 980.com for $40,000 was a bargain. Sold on Sedo, 980.com was just one of tens of three-number .COM deals that closed in August 2010. They include 029.com for $110,000, and six names that sold for $12,000 each – they could be considered a better bargain!
Not much has been done with the 980.com domain in the decade since 2010, but it’s safe to say that the value has increased. The closest direct comparison we have is probably 380.com, which sold for $323,000 in December 2017. It’s likely that the domain has changed hands at least a couple of times since 2010, but the domain has remained under privacy protection at GoDaddy.
OY.com – $90,000
Another short .COM domain that sold for less than $100,000 in 2010 is OY.com. Like 980.com, OY.com would certainly hold at least a six-figure valuation today. I was expecting to see this domain in Chinese hands, since a large percentage of two-letter .COM domains have moved to China over the years.
The current owner’s identity isn’t known, but the domain does redirect to the Legatum Prosperity Index’s website, so it’s possible that the name is owned by The Legatum Institute, a London-based think-tank with an aim to reduce poverty. The Institute also owns LI.com and Prosperity.com.
Huddle.com – $131,400
A great one-word .COM brand that is as strong in 2020 as it was in August 2010. The $131,400 buyer of was Huddle, a document collaboration company from the UK. After the company’s creation in 2006, Huddle used Huddle.net until 2010 when they switched to Huddle.com in a deal that was closed at NameJet.
The domain acquisition was shortly after the company raised $10.2 million in a Series B funding round. The company looks to have gone from strength to strength, and were acquired by Turn/River Capital in 2017 for $89 million. Huddle.com still resolves to Huddle’s website.
Other names sold in August 2010 include:
- 029.com for $110,000
- 123123.com for $20,000
- рф.com for $60,000
- FreePoker.org for $50,000
- KissingGames.com for $98,000