When the auction game was new, there were some rather impressive sales and many live auctions actually had a large percentage of inventory sold. But that's over.
Unfortunately, most domain auction buyers now have some experience under their belts and aren't jumping on purchases like they did once. Many will also use the auction as a place to network but will not purchase at auction, instead preferring to make offers at a later date directly to the Seller and without auction fees.
My advice to sellers is always - never, ever ever, ever, EVER lower your reserve if your original price is what you really want for the name, particularly without a LIVE auction guarantee which you can no longer get. And be sure to add in Moniker's $100.00 "transfer fee" when setting your price as Moniker will not pay to have your domain moved back afterwards if they don't sell it. (I asked...)
I've submitted enough names in the past to know that lowering my price has never changed where my names stood in an auction or which auction it goes to. Nothing has ever been spoken of regarding the makeup of the infamous "selection committee" as to whom that really is and what the criteria or formula that is used really is. Personally, I think each rep say's, "Hmm. That one sounds cool." They send it forward and someone like Monte picks his top 200 and that's that.
Few people will ever even look at the Silent (Extended) list. It's way too long, and it is just another list, nothing special, although buyer's know the reserve when Silent starts.
Do the math. If even 30 names out of 3000 sold in Silent, that is still only 1% of the total, with maybe one high-dollar sale carried over from non-sale at Live, and the rest at the "Suggested Reserve Reduction" complete with all its fees.
Since merging with SNAP, Moniker just isn't as flexible as they used to be when your rep actually had some authority and/or influence. To each his own, but I really don't believe they are there for me like they used to be.
k:
