GoDaddy Auctions is where expired GoDaddy domain name inventory is sold off, with GoDaddy taking the profits of the expired domain sales on GoDaddy registered domains and the domains from other registrars owned directly by GoDaddy (HEG’s registrars for an example). This is a big revenue source for GoDaddy (my guess), so I wanted to look at some GoDaddy Auction stats.
The following is simply by looking at the FTP file of expired domain inventory, which is provided directly from GoDaddy. This includes many domain registrars controlled by GoDaddy and a few “partner” registrars like Domain.com, PDR, Tucows etc. Most inventory though, is owned by GoDaddy. I say “owned by GoDaddy” because they are the ones getting paid when the domain sells.
Prior to these partners being added to the GoDaddy Auctions inventory, I was aware of about 30,000 domain auctions in general ending daily. Now, about 30,000-50,0000 (usually closer to 40K on average) expired domain name auctions end daily. That totals on average of about 14 million expired domain auctions annually (40,000 x 365). How many receive bids and sell at expired auction is not a number that I have or can estimate in general. Nor do I have an estimate of how many sell in Closeout auctions.
One thing to consider, looking at the FTP file data released this morning, 195,404 domain names have a Buy Now status, which tells me these 195K domains are “Closeout” auctions that range in price from $5-$11. Closeouts are 5 day, reverse auctions. $11 on day 1 of closeout, $10, $9, $8 and $5. Using today’s FTP data
- 37,365 domains hold the $5 BIN price
- 36,977 domains hold the $8 BIN price
- 42,460 domains hold the $9 BIN price
- 38,490 domains hold the $10 BIN price
- 40,111 domains hold the $11 BIN price
To note, I had recorded that on January 4, 2018 that 42,985 expired auctions were ending. I also noted that on January 5, 2018 that 51,824 expired domain auctions were ending.
According to the Expiring Service Auctions FTP file for today, 1/12/2018, 38,600 expired domain auctions end today. 401,115 total expired domain auctions are taking place (excluding the 195,404 closeout auctions) over the next 10 day period. 2,368 have at least 1 bid of the total amount.
Based on the above numbers, about half the domains that are currently Closeout Auctions, were once Expired Auctions. (401,115 vs 195,404). I wouldn’t expect GoDaddy to sell half it’s expired inventory though as the numbers point to. Keep in mind that the 401K is 10 days worth of inventory, where the 195K is 5 days. This would indicate closer to 5K domains selling in a 5 day period? 1K per day or 365K a year? Or would that number be cut in half? 500 per day? (just guessing here, clearly)
The highest reported single expired domain auction at GoDaddy Auctions to publicly be confirmed was for Gradient.com, which sold for $125,001 as reported by DomainInvesting.com and confirmed by GoDaddy. None of that $125,001 went to the prior owner of the expired domain name Gradient Resources, GoDaddy receives those funds as the domain was registered at GoDaddy at time of expiry.
On January 11, 2018 NameBio.com recorded 84 sales for GoDaddy over $100 and a total of $31,948 in its daily market recap report. I feel pretty confident that NameBio isn’t able to record “all” the expired auctions that end daily, as GoDaddy makes it pretty tough to track its expired domain sales. For an example, I’m only able to see what domain names sells for, if I were to bid on it. Prior, any “watched” domains would show what they sold for. It is not clear how NameBio gets its GoDaddy expired domain sales data.
Based on the current average of 40,000 expired domain auctions ending daily, the 14 million annual expired GoDaddy Auctions numbers is pretty amazing and wouldn’t have been a guess number of mine prior to looking at the current numbers.
It costs $4.99 per year to be a GoDaddy Auctions member to bid or sell domains.
I did a similar article to this in June 2014 if you want to see some similar numbers from back then.
What do you think of the numbers?
“I’m only able to see what domain names sells for, if I were to bid on it. Prior, any “watched” domains would show what they sold for.”
I am able to see what domains sell for when I bid or watch. The both end up under the “Didn’t Win” or “Not Won” tab.
@Logan,
I wish that was the case for me. I watch a lot of domains in general but I can’t see what those watched domains end for, they are just gone. I only have a “didn’t win” tab, which only contains domains I bid on and didn’t win, which shows what it ended for. I rarely bid.