After selling on Afternic for $2,000 several months ago, Saddam.com is being auctioned on eBay with the help of a press release.
Saddam.com sold on Afternic several months ago for around $2,000. The seller then tried to sell it on DNForum several times but buyers didn’t line up. Now, with the aid of a press release, an auction for Saddam.com is attracting bidders at eBay. (The domain may have traded hands after the initial Afternic sale.) I wouldn’t be surprised to see this auction get picked up by the press. They love to write about interesting eBay auctions.
Issuing press releases about domain name availability is becoming a common practice, but it also creates headaches for journalists as they sort through the (mostly) junk press releases. With only a slight bit of exaggeration, here are typical press releases about domain names:
“Once in a life-time opportunity to own ItsColdOutside123.com”
“Domain entrepreneur to sell prized domain, ILiveInMissouri.com”
“Here’s your chance to own a corvette: 67CorvetteNow.com up for sale”
These press releases then go on to talk about the exceptional investment returns for domain sales, and then quote high-dollar sales of domains like Diamond.com and Blue.com as examples.
I have no problem with trying to drum up interest for your domains, but I worry that as more people issue press releases about domains available for sale the good ones won’t get attention. It’s like of like eBay – there are so many crappy domains listed on eBay that you have to search for hours just to find a couple good ones.
As of 10AM CST on 9/18, the auction for Saddam.com has attracted 21 bids with a price of $3,049.
Update: the domain sold for $3,149.00.
Jeff Jordan says
I was reading about all the people that where wanting to see his grave so I registerd saddamhusseinsgrave.com and put it on ebay Item number: 220067227119 Last I seen it was not in the listings. Of course it is very contriversal. I think it will be a p;ace for people to go and grieve or leave feedback and express themselves one way or the other.