I don’t need to share any recent sales data to show that the economy is impacting domain values. I think the bottom line is that good domain names still sell for high prices, and average to below-average domain names are difficult to sell these days.
One thing is certain though. No matter how difficult the economy is, nor what happens to currency valuations and/or fluctuations, domain name assets are stronger than many other assets, and they are very similar to land and precious metals, all of which are limited and have intrinsic value.
Regardless of what happens with the economy, precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum will still have value. They can be used as bartering tools (if necessary) and they can be used just about anywhere in the world. Likewise, the best real estate is the world will still remain valuable. You won’t be able to make a ridiculously low offer for a piece of land on the water in Palm Beach any time soon or ever because there will always be someone there with a better offer – be it cash or cash equivalents.
Domain names can’t be lost (unless you forget to renew them), they are difficult to steal if you are careful, and good ones are valuable just about anywhere in the world you go. The Internet is one thing that binds just about the entire world, and it isn’t going anywhere.
Sure, people may be struggling to survive financially and things may appear to be getting worse, but as far as I can see, the impact is somewhat isolated. I think some people need to spend less time watching the news and more time focusing on how to improve their own economic conditions.
Fear is as dangerous as what is feared.
Digital assets. Nice.
If you leave the country with more than $10k in cash, you have to declare it.
You have physical storage and security issues with gold to deal with and try getting on a plane with enough gold to live on would be tough since it’s way to heavy to carry around.
Diamonds are good but good luck trying to find a buyer for diamonds.
Real estate. Not very portable and the bigger the valuation of the asset the more annual costs are needed for maintenance and taxes.
Domains. Yep. Domains. Less than $10 per year to carry most domains, no maintenance and in many cases you get paid to own it via parking or other revenue stream. And, you can access it anywhere in the world and offer it for sale over a free internet connection at a public library.
Why would you invest in anything else these days?
I brokered a domain deal the other day. Paypal payment from buyer to seller, I got paid by paypal from the seller and the seller pushed the domain to the seller’s account at the same registrar.
How can any asset beat that?
Oh right, stocks. Yeah. Good luck with that.
I totally agree that domains are THE thing to invest in. The $10 acquisition price and the fact that the internet is and will continue to grow means that good domain names will always be in demand.