I make money and learn with three things. I go through every domain auction house and scan names. I go through all the sales of the previous day here. We had our own portfolios reviewed on DomainSherpa and I thought I would do the same for other domain investors…..even if they didn’t want me to. I like to follow the portfolios of domain investors I respect. One of those is Theo Delvelegas. He is the owner/operator of DomainGang.com and one of the more active, vocal bloggers in the domain investing industry. He’s also been helpful to many people in recovering their domains over the years. Now its time to take a look at his. Here are few takeaways after looking at his domains registered publicly (not under privacy). Keep in mind that Theo’s main profession is graphic design and although domain investing and blogging are important to him, they are secondary to his graphic design company.
1. Fabulous is his favorite registrar and doesn’t use Godaddy unless he has to. While I don’t know the exact number of domains he actually has, I assume that he has moved many of his domains over to Uniregistry where privacy is free, so I can’t see those domain. He has stated over the years that he does not like low ballers and offer spam. I see 1277 domains under his account that are still under his name and the free whois would certainly cut down on the spam. Almost all his publicly viewable names are at Fabulous. I’ve followed his portfolio for years and while there may be more at Uniregistry, most of the names I remember are still at Fabulous. All of his domains seem to be parked at Domain Name Sales.
2. Mr. Delvegas has taken a little bite on the new gTLDs but looks like he isn’t staying. He’s registered names such as 100.photos, christine.photo, (evidently doesn’t feel photo and photos is confusing), viral.photos, UR2.sexy, yes.WTF, rainbow.bike, and blue.bike. These were all registered last year and looks like many aren’t being renewed. Actually didn’t see any with a 2016 expiry. Since he is Greek, plenty of Greek related gTLD keywords as well.
3. If you had to pick a niche or pattern to his holdings I would say it would be Greek related and then anything goes from there. There are hundreds of other names but a high percentage are related to his companies or Greece. The rest are just a mix across the board
4. As opposed to domain investors like Elliot Silver who includes buying higher priced names for a flip, I see no names in the list that I think were purchased for more than $1000. The portfolio in my opinion was built on names that were purchased at a good value and meant to be held. Waiting for the right buyer to pay for the names that won’t sell. IE a numbers game
5. Again, I imagine I’m not seeing all the names but not many names are “liquid” meaning if you put them on Namejet and they wouldn’t fetch high dollar. That doesn’t mean they won’t sell for a lot to an end user, just that if he wanted to get out quickly it wouldn’t be Rick Schwartz type money. But there are some liquid names. A few of my favorite are alieninvaders.com, bungo.com, DBVM.com, FlowerLab.com, informationdesk.com, Klot.com, OMDI.com, RealFunny.com, SlashBox.com, and my favorite youslut.com
6. There are 216 dot nets in the portfolio. At one time he thought they were good to own or he’s banking on a comeback. Three nice 4N.nets but the others and a bunch of nice keywords. If net does come around they may be worth something.
7. He registered athletic.sexy at enom. Not sure why he didn’t register at Uniregistry. He’s one of their top pitchman, you would imagine that he would get an extra special deal so he doesn’t have to go outside the family.
8. According to Estibot, his most valuable domains are Cleopatra.net ($19,537), Mandelbrot.com ($22, 320), Neruda.com ($24,474), Grease.org ($43,200), FallenSoldiers.com, ($20,575), and Terrestial.com ($57,057) and his Estibot portfolio value is $1.4 million
9. He doesn’t like McDonald’s because he registered McShit.com. But he likes his glutes because he owns AssDevelopment.com.
10. He is multicultural with Domains in Spanish, Polish, Greek, English and French.
Theo’s portfolio is proof there are many different styles of building a portfolio and monetization. He has had some great sales over the last few years but if you look at the public names there aren’t very many names that jump at you. And as mentioned above, not many that would sell on Namejet for a substantial sum. But they do. Because they are diverse and cover a full spectrum. I would say there are way too many non dot coms in my opinion but if you are going to own dot nets, there are many that are the type you want to own. This look isn’t to show good or bad, but to show domain investing styles that work.
All Data found using DomainIQ.com
Being Multilingual or multicultural is beneficial in Domaining
speaking about multiculture, I think you could start a new successful series, the Pool Series, gathering groups of domains referred to the same things, but in different languages. When a pool of domains is created, a broker can take it, with all the terms of agreements already established with each registrant, and put that pool of domains on sale as an unique item, approaching end users directly, or using platforms, etc.,
End users really would appreciate those pools, already ” ready to eat”.
I know you are alreaday rich, but you could become much more rich in that way 🙂
Nice feature. Different from all the same, me-too, rehashed crap that passes for posts among other bloggers blogging for food or renewal fees. LOL
Keep up the good work, Cultra
Always hilarious to see the “quality” (LOL) of doggy doo domains these so-called “vets” have…the same ones who look down on others & talk/preach as if they personally hand regged, back in the 1990’s, 6 of the all-time best .coms available
Dig deeper…
The guy’s a hobbyist, mildly lucrative at best, nothing more
LOL
PS. you need to do an investigation of that .COM marketing guru, Jeff “nutcase” Schneider. LOL!
Thanks for the continuing attention, Shane. It goes back what, 5 years? I guess, after Rick Schwartz, I am worthy to be looked at, albeit for different reasons. Of course, the fact that about 500 domains could not be found via the DomainIQ tool isn’t that big of a deal. Or a lot of other info that is either skewed or presented in the wrong light.
As for inviting the trolls over, they are the ones that never set foot in domain conferences that you and I meet at. Think about it.
I’ll address all these issues in my own terms, and in due time, since you didn’t have the courtesy to answer my calls. Keep up the good work at being ‘different’.
Acro,
Actually nobody seemed to really care. There was only one negative, and two positive. The trolls have actually left you alone. I didn’t have to delete anything. I got this idea from Domain Sherpa. If we are going to be voices of this community than we HAVE to show why we earned the ability to criticize, judge, and discuss other people’s actions and business. These articles merely showed the portfolio of community leaders. Attention is what you seek, attention is what you get. You can’t want the spotlight and then complain when it’s too bright
Shane, I am not complaining about the spotlight, I can handle it just fine. Otherwise, I would be hiding behind a troll’s handle making guffaw sounds.
But since you and I met in person 3 times since 2010 in TRAFFIC Vegas, I was hoping that my request for a specific type of privacy would be granted. After all, you are the one that in the past has asked for a complete non-reference of eachother’s business in our popular blogs.
I am not depriving you of your 1st Amendment rights to free speech either. Cast all the light you feel like casting out. But your article paints an entirely wrongful picture of me, and my portfolio. Sorry, but I will have to address every detail at my own field now.
PS I said I would explain the reasons, if you picked up your phone and called back. It’s common courtesy that I value and respect in a person, more than their ability to run marathons.
Acro,
But you are hiding behind a handle. You don’t even use your real name in comments. And my article is opinion. It can’t be wrong. I don’t enjoy talking to someone that thinks they are smarter than everyone, thus no phone calls. The fact you are trolled so often must tell you something about how you are received. You are a talented graphic designer and it shows in your domain portfolio.
No real complaints, Shane. And I am not hiding from anything. My business cards have two sides, DomainGang included, both bearing my name. My online comment handle has been the same for years, linking to my blog, Acro.net. And that’s my own eye, right there. So nothing hidden, nor faked.
I never professed that I am smarter than everyone, and that’s exactly the core issue here: your inability to understand the person behind the moniker. But to understand, you need to listen, versus assume things.
No need to call, if you don’t feel like calling. I will address everything at my blog, in due time. Thanks for the opportunity to describe only a small part of what I’d like to share in private to you.
Hi Shane, when domain portfolios are reviewed on DomainSherpa is it that person’s entire portfolio, warts and all, or is it a cherry-picked selection of domains that the person wants highlighted to show that they know how to acquire the best domains, and of course increase the exposure and potential sales price of those selected names?
Fizz,
Submitted 3rd party domains are only the domains they submit but for the Sherpas themselves we turned in what we thought were the best and the worst and newly acquired. But then we used DomainIQ and looked at ALL of our domains to see if the other guys agreed they were the best or worst and what other names they liked or disliked. But as far as people turning in their own, they can turn in whatever they like. It’s beneficial to the person to give a nice overall list it doesn’t have to be. And Michael requires a donation to charity to have a portfolio looked at
I’ve seen that Greek guys articles on domain gang and acro. Honestly many of them have an undertone of making foreigners, immigrants, Muslims, Latinos belittled. No disrespect but truly he comes across as a bigot although he himself is Greek an immigrant.
Goldberg, I don’t believe what you say is true although he has been a bit harsh on Chinese. Most of his stuff is satire, you and I are just too dumb to know it 🙂
I always felt this guy needed to get more of a life, like remembering domainers wives birthdays, just came across as creepy, and stalkish, I don’t know what his issue is, he seems to be able to report on everything, and anything about anyone else, one simple public whois on his own affairs, and he is up in arms.
Travis,
I thought the irony of that post on domainers’ wives birthday was too much. He wants privacy and then posts all the stuff he reads on Facebook. I agree very creepy
Really like this feature Shane. looking forward to see who’s up next!