Most people think I’m crazy when I talk about the collectible value of domains. Some names don’t NEED an end user, they don’t need practical value, rarity and vanity is enough.

Vanity doesn’t apply so much to domains yet, but sooner or later it will. When the guy who paid $6.8m for plate #5 wakes up one day and decides he just has to have talal.com – what will he be willing to pay for it?

Domains are compared to real estate often, and fit well. But where the comparison breaks down, license plates are the perfect fit – you don’t really “own” anything but a transferable license to use something that must be renewed annually or you lose it.