I think that there are short, catchy names that have been deleted and could be picked up. But you've got to search for them on your own by through creative thinking and running searches to see if the domains are available.
I've found that the services that promise to send you emails or newsletters about deleted domains are not much good. A free service for this is offered at deleteddomains.com.
If you take a daily look at deleteddomains.com, you'll find that the most of the names that are dropped - are really awful names.
I think that you stand a better chance of finding that rare good domain that has been deleted by the method that described above - creative thinking and running searches yourself.
- Harold Hunter Jr.
Patent Attorney