Every published sales list is a sample with a bias, and knowing the bias is most of the work. Here is our tracked .si data grouped by the venue where the sale happened.
Sales by venue
| Venue | Sales | Average | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atom | 198 | $1408.0 | $95.0 | $34999.0 |
| Not stated | 109 | $4932.0 | $200.0 | $28700.0 |
| Sedo | 57 | $6919.0 | $750.0 | $30000.0 |
| Spaceship | 29 | $10792.0 | $500.0 | $84000.0 |
| Private | 22 | $2925.0 | $500.0 | $23000.0 |
| Dynadot | 13 | $3344.0 | $360.0 | $15000.0 |
Atom leads on volume with 198 sales averaging $1408.0. A smaller venue can show a far higher average simply because only its best sales get reported — the cheap ones never become news.
Three biases to subtract
Publication bias. A venue whose completions are public shows its whole distribution; a venue that appears in roundups shows only its highlights.
Category bias. Auctions attract a different buyer than a direct sale; a name that fails at auction is not necessarily worth less, it was shown to the wrong room.
Timing bias. A sale recorded in a strong quarter is quoted for years afterwards.
What to do with the number
Take the median of the band your name belongs to, not the average of the market. Then check what the same name would cost a buyer to register elsewhere — that sets the floor, and the floor is usually the most persuasive argument you have.
Check a name while you are here.
Registry-accurate availability and a value range that shows its comparables — free, no account.
