With the incredible growth in activity from domain name investors in China I’ve found myself expanding beyond the normal domain marketplaces that I watch like NameJet and Go Daddy Auctions to sites like 4.cn. While it can be easy to see domain sales on marketplaces we all know well, I think it’s important to look at marketplaces that can give another view into how Chinese buyers are valuing domain names.
Of course, I’m late to the party here. I know many investors who have been focused on short and/or numeric domains for years that have been active on 4.cn, but as the saying goes, better late than never right?
As many of you know I’m a very data-driven guy, and I’ve started to study 4.cn, in particular, the price differences between similar names across marketplaces. I’m seeing some pretty interesting things, but it’s still too early for me to identify any key trends. That being said, I am noticing some interesting patterns in bidding, pricing, and the names buyers on 4.cn are drawn to vs. buyers on NameJet vs. buyers on Go Daddy.
It’s easy to think that buyers are active on all these marketplaces but it’s also easy to understand that buyers in the US are more active on places like NameJet and Go Daddy Auctions than they are on 4.cn. This means different market dynamics and a window into the minds of investors halfway across the world.
I wish I had more insights to share now but it’s still early for me and like many investor I’m still wrapping my head around the new investment climate that is forming and the opportunities around it. As I’ve done over the years, I like to share what I know and what I don’t know, but more importantly share with all of you what I’m doing to learn more.
More to come, but first, more data.
