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Web domain Hell.com hath no takers Organizers hoped the online address would get bids of more than $1 million. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Internet domain name Hell.com failed to be bought via a live auction Friday, which organizers had hoped would bring bids of more than $1 million. Another live auction will not take place until a year from now. However, interested buyers will have the opportunity to grab hell.com before then in ongoing silent auction, according to Moniker.
Moniker is a unit of the brand and marketing company Seevast Corp. Hell.com was founded by Kenneth Aronson, who described the domain as a private network "global think-tank" that he wanted to sell because of all the traffic receives and all the rumors the name generates. "Branding experts said the name is recognized more than Coca-Cola," said Aronson. "It's so enigmatic and the person who buys it has the potential to make it a very big portal." The domain, which Aronson said he wouldn't sell for less than a million, has become home to a secretive online community that receives nearly 5,000 new visitors daily. "Hell.com is a variable asset and it's the opposite of what we need," said Aronson. "I may even consider withdrawing it because of all the publicity it has received." Most of the domain names auctioned were represented by Moniker. The Internet domain company conducted the auction of nearly 325 names including Hiyieldcd.com, HMO.com, Stockexchanges.com, Digitalcameras.com, and Rentalcarrates.com. Attendees were allowed to place bids at the live auction or via the Internet in a silent domain auction. It ended at 5:30 p.m. ET. "This is a cutting edge company and a cutting edge event that has generated industry excitement," Lance Podell, CEO of Seevast, said. "It's a very large crowd, with well over 500 people including corporate buyers and domain-name buyers." The online address is the latest to be put up for sale in a growing market for domain names amid the booming growth of Internet advertising with online giants such as Google (Charts), Yahoo (Charts), Amazon.com (Charts) and eBay (Charts). Gary Kremen, owner and founder of Match.com, sold Web domain Sex.com for about $12 million earlier this year, while another domain, Diamond.com, was sold for $7.5 million. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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