The much hyped no reserve auction just ended at NameJet.com for the domain name OrangeJuice.com with a winning bid of $44,800.
Although there were 517 people in the auction only 7 were willing to bid $20K or more for the domain.
The domain was advertised on the front page of NameJet.com with a banner ad for a few weeks and I even received an email from Network Solutions (a NameJet.com partner) promoting the auction.
The winner of the auction goes by the handle of pertevniyal.
We have been running a poll on what this domain would sell for and if you voted you can see the results on the right.
At the end of the day I didn’t bid on the domain since you can’t sell the product online, there isn’t much development potential IMHO leaving just the resale to one of the big boys as an option which I assume the seller would have done, if he could, in his many years of ownership
Find the price no surprise, strong sounding name that would impress most but it lacks a really clear business model. I think they would have got much the same price on Sedo.
I did not bid because as you said….what the hell can you do with it?
People buy domains and paid big bucks because they have that ego problem,but in the end, like most or all sites- it is a useless BS site.
“People buy domains and paid big bucks because they have that ego problem,but in the end, like most or all sites- it is a useless BS site.”
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I think buying a domain like this is just speculation, It is like buying a bunch of random 3 letter .com, where the hope is simply reselling. Nothing wrong with that but as has been said it is very limiting.
I think that name is a steal at that price, curious why no large manufacturer like Tropicana has bought it? It has other branding possibilities and uses besides the obvious drink connotations. A bargain to boot.
///”curious why no large manufacturer like Tropicana has bought it”
I think most would say they want to promote a brand, not a generic.
///”It has other branding possibilities and uses besides the obvious drink connotations. ”
I’d say it does to some (small) degree, but if a company was going to try and brand a generic term usually they’d do so with just one word. If you search for “orange juice” in Google there doesn’t look to be anyone using the term as a brand, so where are the buyers for this type of usage? Compare that to say “orange” of “juice”where their is heaps of brands called that.
Went for less than what I expected… but all the dialog in a previous post gave me insight as to just how little use the domain truly has. I still think it’s an A- domain at worst.
Dean
The thing is the domain owner has had the domain for a long time.
I believe he is the original registrant
I would bet a buck that in the years the owner approached the big boys including Trop to buy it and they passed.
That’s not to say maybe he didn’t get to the right guy or that the company may over the years change their mind.
MHB,
I thought about that, why the owner did not approach (or probably did) and why no large manufacturer purchased it. Still, I think at that price if one could afford to sit on it for 5 years, they could easily double or triple their initial investment.
Maybe it might be fitting for a manufacturer of apparel (Orange Juice Jeans?) or a juicy (pun intended) celebrity gossip blog.
I think Juicy Couture would object to anything with juice and clothing
“it lacks a really clear business model”
yes, it do need too much time to order online and receive a super cold Fanta while you’re on the beach in august at 12:00 am …
Fanta is Orange soda
different domain
Ha!
I must have made the unconscious connection with Juicy Couture, ok that’s out. Here is the tag line for the orange juice Celebrity Gossip Blog: “From our Sources to Your Table, Freshly Squeezed Every Morning”
or.. a Double D porn site? you could still use the tag line: “Freshly Squeezed Every Morning”
If I were the buyer, I would seriously consider getting into the orange juice business. Just call it OrangeJuice. You have the killer domain and immediate credibility with the generic domain. They could easily build a marketing campaign around it.
@Mike,
that is the beauty of domains… $40,000 will buy you the instant credibility, that might take another manufacturer or business 50 years to garner without the name.
@Dean
Thats the beauty of “quality” domains. The more I think about it, they could really make a run at it with this name. Tropicana is the only decent OJ out there. Minute Maid and Dole are awful. Come up with some slick hi gloss orange and black packaging with a little orange foil on it, a little social media magic and you are on your way.
Great app name
Great advertising call to a tion for Florida Orange Growers
Considering that physical.com went for $42,500 just recently, who made the better buy, having spent a similar amount?
Frozen ORANGE JUICE concentrate is an exchange traded commodity.A futures advisor or trader could use it…and profit immensely.Not saying that’s who bought it …but I would’nt be surprised.In which case 44k is a steal.
I might add that a six or seven figure payday awaits the owner of WHEAT…CORN…GOLD…COPPER…PLATINUM…HOGS…SUGAR…TBONDS.COM…if they have’nt already been snatched up by futures traders.
Talk about mono dimensional commenters. Forget the generic definition and cast your mind to the values of “orange juice” and how that translates to a brand for just about anything.
Orange Joice says morning, healthy, etc.
Yes, risk management dictates that you think generic to protect your domain assets from a UDRP standpoint, but the laws of branding don’t work like that.
But then what do I know; I am so smart I ignored generic hand reg names 12 years ago.
Would it make sense if a company called “Orange” bought the domain and used it as their “Investor Relations” website?
Perhaps this sale will bring more attention to the name and wake up people who weren’t paying attention this time. Coca-Cola owns the Minute Maid brand, and at this price, it would be like paying a tiny, tiny fraction of a penny to them. All kinds of things can be done with this name, besides the obvious. I’m surprised it went for so low. The buyer got a great deal.
A big fucking “told you so” to all those who wrongly said it would sell for > $100,000
http://www.thedomains.com/2011/05/07/orangejuice-com-goes-to-auction-at-namejet-com-at-no-reserve-quick-poll-how-much-will-it-sell-for/comment-page-1/#comments
(the qn was what it would sell for at auction, not what the “valuation” is if/but/maybe/coulda Tropicana decides to go for it)
Congrats to those reallists who got it right.
Too much hype from big talking armchair spenders without the cash to put where their mouth is – as usual.
Where sre those chump armchair big spenders that were saying “lock in for over $100,000”, “no brainer” blabla yada yada
Where’s the LS Morgan clown who said “orange juice” is a great brandable (for other than its generic meaning). LMFAO
Any VC who heard that kind of retardedness would laugh it out of sight..
You’d need to spend another $$$millions to tell people the product/service it’s not actually ‘orange juice” they’re selling…
Apple.com – brand = YES
Orange.co.uk – brand (mobile phones) = YES
Mint.co.uk – brand (credit card) = YES
Mango.com – brand (fashion/clothing) = YES
FriedChicken – brand = NO
AppleJuice.com – brand = NO
OrangeJuice.com – brand = NO
(in case LS Morgan still doesn’t get it brandability works with ONE WORD
Doesn’t work with TWO words, based on the above keywords
Back to marketing school for you, chump know-it-all)
It’s clear the winner would be a domainer, as is the case for 95% of auctions.
And it is obvious the auctions market (99% domainer 2 domainer) is weak.
All the big spenders (mostly long time vets) of yesteryear are selling more than buying
(to avoid being the richest domainer in the graveyard)
MHB – Is there away to pull or consolidate your purchase pulls vs. actual sales? Would be a nice way to see the percieved value in today’s market place vs. the market value.
Funny and typical how so many on the original OJ post thought this was “easily” worth a 100K but yet nobody stepped in over 44K.
why not use it for a directory of all orange juice production companies?
“why not use it for a directory of all orange juice production companies?”
I hope this is sarcasm.
Did not recognize the high bidder or his bidding patterns – lets see if he cures.
Still think it has enormous upside when an orange juice manufacturer decides to buy it and put it on its mantle. As a premium name for a business (regardless of what they sell) it still is worth my $35K bid.
Looks like aloevera.com just sold for more than orangejuice.com, still seems low for both names I think. Both great buys for well under value.
Yup
and it cost me a $100 bet
The upside with aloevera is it has far more active online consumer sales potential than orangejuice which really is just more of a “status symbol” name. With aloevera.com there can be a real viable online sales and business model built on it quite easily. I am kind of wishing I bid more on it to be honest. But let’s see if they pay because the rabbit migh flake out we shall see.
wow…very expensive…