I'd appreciate any feedback you guys can provide - I don't even know an order of magnitude for how much this is worth. Registered since 2000, I will use it as a web site for a board game that I'm desigining. Single English word, but not a commonly used one, and not one that's associated with any typical internet business activity. remnant.com
It is marked as sold at Sedo.com for $6,600 USD at 2010-09-04. So I guess that can be used as a ballpark estimate.
Well, most people search for remnant will be looking up the definition, so it doesn't have much commercial value as it stands. It more has value as a developed brand, which you're going to do. For this type of domain, it's really worth what the buyer is willing to pay as there aren't going to be many people wanting it. It has age, but no commercial value. Why anyone paid thousands for this in the past I don't know, but they paid over the odds ($8,300 in 2007 and $6,600 in 2010). I would personally value it at $100, due to age.
I would say that Ryans estimate is a bit low, especially since he documents a second sale for x.xxx in the last 6 years.. And I will put my money where my mouth is. I will pay you 100$ for the name right now if you agree with his evaluation.
They aren't selling, they're buying. They are an end-user. At the end of the day, a domain is worth what an buyer is willing to pay and the past two sales were silly money. It might be a single dictionary word, but it's one of no commercial value, only a brand value. A brand needs to be developed. Any name can be developed into a brand and that's where the money is: once developed. Right now it's just a rather ordinary name, no commercial value and a bit old, but there are plenty of old domains out there. If it was insurance.com, then it would be a different matter entirely as it's a word with commercial value. Some people just get too excited about a single dictionary word domain, but not all of them have a great value as-is.
You think it has no commercial value because you can not imagine its commercial applications. But in the end you are right at one point. Its worth what somebody is willing to pay. As a reseller of domain names, I am willing to pay the OP over 100$, so your evaluation is probably not indicative of neither reseller nor end user market potential. But as you say your evaluation is more a reflection of your personal opinion, I am just advising the OP against selling at that price level.
The OP is a buyer. To quote their title, "First time buyer looking for a ballpark". I suggest you look it up in the dictionary and then compare the word to insurance, car, house, home, etc, which are instantly commercial. These are the type of high value keywords instantly worth thousands, not a word like remnant or it wouldn't be sitting there as an empty website, have been parked or redirected over all these years (especially after people paid stupid money). The OP needs to keep this in mind when making a bid.
I suggest you think broader than the top 10 of industries that pops into your head. Lots of money are to be made in smaller niches. Remnants is a term that seems of no use to you, hence no once else can have a use for it. Of the top of my head niches like antiques and architecture comes to mind. Fact of the matter is that it is a word that hundreds of millions of people already know. That alone makes it much easier to brand than any available "brandable" name you seem to want to compare it to. And to take the domains status as parked as an indication of low value is also plain wrong. Thousands upon thousands of generic one word dictionary words are parked and waiting for end user investment. Fact of the matter, take 10 words of the top of your head and check the .com version. I bet you that 5 out the ten are parked domains. May I be so frank to ask where you expertise in the industry stems from? Are you a reseller?
You're just making my point: it has a value as a brand, but a brand needs development. The development is what costs money, the domain is a small part of it. Yes, perhaps my appraisal was a bit tightfisted at $100 - as an end-user I wouldn't go over $750 and would definitely start low. It's a cool name, but it's not the only one out there. Does that make you happy? Any more than that would be crazy, unless the OP is from a big company and has money to throw away. If all those domains were worth the money that they are often listed for, then they wouldn't be sat parked for so long. Eventually a buyer at that price might come along; they just keep waiting all those many years. You gave your view as a reseller, I viewed it as a buyer (as the OP mentioned buying). Now the OP has a view from two different sides.
I am a potential buyer, and I'm not a big company (sadly in this case). I appreciate the conversation, and the two sides that you're representing are the two that have been fighting in my head So thanks!
No problem, mate, and good luck with the board game and with whatever domain you end up with. The kind of ideas I get due to the name remnant make it very cool sounding.
Thanks! I have youaretheremnant.com for now. It's a sci fi game with tactical miniature combat and a strategic RPG between encounters. You're the last remnant of a collection of species that were almost wiped out.
It sounds like a lot of fun, mate! Let me know when it's released. I don't play many games these days, but I love this genre, so it's sure to tempt me. If the remnant.com domain name works out too expensive, remnantrpg.com is free. Anyway, I'm sure you can come up with plenty of other names, if you need to. All the best.