According to a press release by econsultancy, Sedo  reported an increase in domain sales of  6.5% in the first quarter of 09 compared to the 4Th quarter of 2008.

A total of 9,326 domain names sold in the 1st quarter.

Key findings from the report include:

– .com continues to claim more than 75% of all gTLDs sold, with .info and .org still trailing behind at 7% and .net at 9%

– Prices increased by an average of £475 for a .com domain.

– ccTLD sales increased in the 1st quarter,  with .de the most commonly sold ccTLD.

– Top domain sales of 2008 include top.com for £327,917; body.com for £283,677 and forums.com for £275,794

Nora Nanayakkara, Director of Business Development for Sedo, commented: “The report suggests that we are starting to see the first signs of post-credit crunch recovery in the domain name marketplace. The last year has seen unprecedented change in our industry and we are encouraged by the increase in the number of domains changing hands during this quarter. This is in part a result of businesses moving online to minimise overhead costs in challenging times and this trend may well balance the drops in other areas of the market.”