RickLatona.com Brokers The Sale Of CD.com Right Before TRAFFIC Auction

2010 October 21
by Michael H. Berkens

RickLatona.com brokered the sale of the domain name CD.com, a domain that was scheduled to be auctioned off at TRAFFIC but was pulled at the last minute from the catalog.

Although due to a NDA the sales price cannot be released, the domain when it was scheduled to be in the auction had a reserve price of $500,000.

This is at least the 3rd time the domain has sold in the last 4 or so years

The domain sold at the TRAFFIC Las Vegas domain auction in 2006 for $275,000 and subsequently sold in 2008 in a deal brokered by  BigTicketDomains.com for  around $180K.

Congrats to the buyer,  seller and RickLatona.com

36 Responses leave one →
  1. 2010 October 21
    Dean permalink

    Ironically the sale coincides with the release of the MacBook Air which some predict is a trend that will kill the CD.

    http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/20/a-compact-death/

  2. 2010 October 21

    too high price

  3. 2010 October 21

    @Dean

    I agree with you (and with Apple) … the CD is DEAD … I’ve many unburned CD and DVD but the last one I’ve burned was over two years ago!

    only a few printed magazines will still offer a CD or DVD but just for a few years

    .

  4. 2010 October 21
    MHB permalink

    Dean

    I have always viewed this domain in reference to certificate of deposits or CD’s like in CD rates.

    Don’t think the Mac Air will kill that just low interest rates

  5. 2010 October 21

    BigTicketDomains.com brokered it in 2008.

  6. 2010 October 21
    MHB permalink

    Kevin

    Thanks I knew it sold somewhere but couldn’t find a link.

    What was the price at the time?

    I will update the story

  7. 2010 October 21

    Mike,

    Most all my major clients, including on that acquisition, request prices be kept private, so I have to respect their wishes on that.

    I can say my CD.com guys are very happy domain investors. :)

    Kevin

  8. 2010 October 21

    maybe, it can be used for other things (like e.g. CD = Canada Dry website) but not for CD

  9. 2010 October 21
    MHB permalink

    Kevin

    Fair enough and let me say my recollection then of a $180K sale in 2008 is just either from memory or rumor

  10. 2010 October 21

    @Kevin

    if the CD.com buyer don’t want to use, but just resell it with profits, he/you can REALLY propose the domain (why not?) to Canada Dry company… :)

    .

  11. 2010 October 21

    other possible use of CD.com

    - Custom Design

    - Car Discounts

    - Clear Direction

    - Cooking Directory

    - Computer Devices

    - Computer Discounts (there is an italian company with this name)

    - your suggestions _______

    .

  12. 2010 October 21

    so, not a bad buy, after all… :)

  13. 2010 October 21
    Dean permalink

    MHB

    I agree, the name or initials CD is associated with more than one product and as such is probably a good domain investment, however the majority of people and traffic probably comes from the association with the term Compact Discs.

  14. 2010 October 21
    Dean permalink

    Not to beat a dead horse, but I think the Cloud, Apps and TV On Demand will further erode the shelf life of Compact Discs.

  15. 2010 October 21
    MHB permalink

    Dean

    That horse died when the first iPod came out

    Cd’s come on I haven’t bought one of those in like 10 years and I’m old

  16. 2010 October 21

    Want cd.net? I have access to it and it is not $500k

  17. 2010 October 21
    Dean permalink

    MHB

    Funny, you caught me off guard, I thought you would say something like you have not purchased a CD since you wore out your last copy of Van Halen’s greatest hit’s. :)

    You know there is truth to what they say about technological devices, they start to become obsolete the moment you buy them, as someone is working on the next innovation as you take home and unpack your latest gadget.

  18. 2010 October 21

    CD=

    CD universe; a music store
    Cease/Desist
    Congressional District
    .CD (democratic republic of Congo cctld)
    Linux/Unis programming command
    CD Rom to go (mass duplicates CDs for product/camera other in package items)
    Credit Default
    Initials of polictians/celebrities or invented name for next pop star

  19. 2010 October 21

    Charles Dickens
    Celebrity Divorce
    Call to action for American Express CD TV ad

  20. 2010 October 22

    CD can easily be the initials of a great number of existing and future personal names as well as businesses, services and more! Like any other 2 letter domain it is a great asset in many respects!

  21. 2010 October 22

    techcrunch.com/2010/10/21/another-one-bites-the-dust/

  22. 2010 October 22
    Landon White permalink

    @MHB

    Rumour:

    Here’s your Update:
    No Big Secret!

    on 7/11/2006
    CD.Com sold for
    $277,750

    To Roger Parkin
    via Monikertraffic

    :-)

  23. 2010 October 22

    @ Landon

    Your facts are incorrect. Roger did not acquire that via Moniker or at an auction in 2006.

  24. 2010 October 22

    CD = Cash Dispenser ? :)

  25. 2010 October 22
    DR.VEGAS permalink

    CD is in a better place compatibility-wise than say…DVD.

  26. 2010 October 22

    DVD = Dead Video Device :)

  27. 2010 October 22
    Landon White permalink

    @ Kevin

    Wrong Again!

    POINT IS….
    On 7/11/2006
    CD.Com sold for
    $277,750

    Period!

    THERE IS NO RECORD
    FOR A SALE
    PRIVATE OR OTHERWISE FOR 2008
    ONLY A RUMOR….

    AS MHB…CLEARLY STATED

  28. 2010 October 22

    @ Landon

    CD.com last sold in 2008.

  29. 2010 October 22

    It got pulled because it would have never met the reserve. Rick’s in it for the money like everyone else.

  30. 2010 October 22
    Meyer permalink

    I love all of the assumptions and speculations.

    As someone said to me this week -
    “Money speaks louder than words.”

  31. 2010 October 22

    Great sale – congrats to Rick & Toby

    @ Michael

    You are absolutely right – this name is far more valuable for Certificates of Deposit than for the music discs!

    With solid traffic and a comparison & lead generation tool for CD’s and rate comparisons this could easily be sold to Bank Rate for a hefty sum.

  32. 2010 October 22

    CD – Crap Domains? :D

    It’s a 2-letter .com so in terms of “coinage” value if it did above $150k it did well.

  33. 2010 October 22

    Looking long term, cd.com in 5-years will be worth so much more… New companies are formed all of the time and with technology where it is now and where it will be in 5-years, any two letter .com will be in high demand.

  34. 2011 January 22

    God I love how people think they understand the value of a domain.
    The domain name is in the eye of the beholder.
    I work with this domain from the day we purchased through Kevin.
    Watched the domain always fall nto a category of Music Cd’s every time webmasters discussed its potential.
    Fact is I guided the buyer to grab it.
    Why?
    Certs of D
    Spend a year maybe 2 indexing and proving the domain had mass potential in a market. Made some money along the way and then this fall I set out to locate a buyer.
    Between me and a few other great people the buyer was found.
    Toby and Rick had signed it for auction so I took the right steps to make sure everyone who was involved was treated right and thank Toby for his skills :)
    Point is a domain is what you want it to be.
    Cd.com
    Music.cd
    bank.cd
    Cd- car dealerships
    cash deposit
    and on and on and on my goal was to turn something into a sale for a industry that most never payed mind to.

    Was nice to see this work in a 20 some month period and im looking for more to work with.

    John

  35. 2011 August 29
    Jack permalink

    @Andrew Rosener – you called it.

    Per Bankrate.com SEC filing for Jun 2011: “On October 15, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of the internet domain name CD.com from Rick Latona Auctions, LLC, a Georgia Limited Liability Company for $500,000. This acquisition was made to complement the online publishing business.”

    So.. what are Saturday’s lottery numbers ;)

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