I have been drop catching domain names ever since I have been domaining. It first started out catching 2nd tier drops (domains that were PD but were grabbed by SnapNames and run through it’s auction service but didn’t sell and were Redropped) but that changed when the new AGP fees were starting to be put in place. The amount of domains being registered was cut a lot and a person with a little drop knowledge was able to grab PendingDelete drops as they happened from the registry.

I haven’t done much drop catching recently until today because it seems Afternic which owns several registrars was always going for many of the domain names that I did. In return, I would get beat out nearly each time because I simply use manual methods to register the drops and there is no way I can beat out a registrar, which is what Afternic does. They use several really.

As I found out today, my odds were a little bit better, but I still missed half of what I went for (almost had 75%).

So How do I drop catch?

I simply Download the Pending Delete list via NameJet.com for the day I wish to go for the domains. I use Excel to remove .org, .net and domains with – and numbers.  I then use my DRT Software and run a scan. Once the scan is finished, I start digging the list for goodies. This whole process (minus the scan) should take less then 1 hour.

Then about 12:45 PM Central Time I start getting ready for the 1 PM Central Time Drop. The drop really goes on for about 1.5 hours but most domains should drop from 1-2 PM Central Time. (this is for .com & .net domains)

I use Moniker (use IE for a browser) and use the "bulk check" (the link that says Quick Registration). I then load my short list of domains (copy the list) so I can reload and reload etc while doing my searches. Remember you are going for currently registered domains, so they will keep saying they are taken. You are looking for the second they become available again. You must also have a Funded Account. Their is a tab to Fund Account in your Moniker account, but you can not "cash out" this fund so keep that in mind..

I keep my list size Low. This allows the Moniker check to run faster. I try to stay at 10 domain names or less. It’s all about speed and kind of goes like this. Paste List, Search (hit Enter on your keyboard or scroll down and hit the Search Button), Back Arrow, Search, Back Arrow, Past List, Search…. When one becomes available you have to click Buy Now, Checkout and one more click which I think is Purchase. Then get back to where you past your list for bulk check and keep going…

You can use Verisign’s whois (Registry for .com & .net) to see if the domain has been grabbed by somebody already as well during your drop catching tries. Be quick if you do this.. or you can miss a drop. LOL

You can read several more of my "drops" style posts here, here and here.

That’s It..

So today I went for (tried to register when they dropped. aka became available) 4 domain names total.

• RollerTote.com
• HiringAid.com
• Hairsetters.com
• HandTrowel.com

I got HiringAid.com and I happen to own HireAid.com which gets a good deal of interest at Afternic, so I wanted it. With so many people losing their jobs, many need a hiring service (aid) to help get them a job so I think it’s a good investment.

The second I got was HandTrowel.com . A Hand Trowel is a generic product. It is used for smoothing cement, a small gardening tool etc. I agree the plural can be considered "better" but I could also say that I can match the likely search term better . If somebody is looking for a Hand Trowel, they are likely to search for Hand Trowel and not the plural version. Frank S. happens to own the plural.

I had RollerTote.com in my cart and paid for it via Moniker but I must of been beat out in the checkout process (it does happen). This was grabbed by DomainersEdge aka LeadersByChoice.

Hairsetters.com was grabbed by a Godaddy reseller and am not sure who the registrant is at posting. Hairsetters is another term for Hair Curlers btw.

If I could get about 5-10 domains per day, I think it would be really worth the several hours that it takes to do it. Once the AGP fee is fully in place by ICANN, it might be easier to grab 10+ decent domain names a day and I am looking forward to the day the fee goes in place.

Now I had a list of about 15-20 domains I "could" of went for, but I alway hand write down a list of what I think is "good" while searching the PD list. After I make my list, I go back through my list and pick only The Best to go for. Sometimes, that number is 0 as well.

Make this list Ahead of time as well, which will leave you time to do more research. If you find a really good one in the list, Backorder it!

If you have questions about drop catching, feel free to use the contact tab or comment here (at top) as well and I will do my best to help out.