In current times, newly formed companies likely seek to secure a domain name before they finalize their company name.
To start the process, I listed the basic word elements of a mid-century modern mailbox: Mid-Century, Modern/Mod, Atomic, Retro, and vintage. There are multiple options for mailbox too: mailbox, box, Letterbox, and Letter Box.
For the domain/company name, I started forming combinations of the above. The simple combination of mod AND box seemed to sound right when said out loud. In a simple way, mod captured all the mid-century and modern aspects, while box seemed to be the perfect balance. So, modbox it is!
We’ll, not so fast. Is the domain available? When I started a local coffeehouse back in 1994, I did not think to have a website; great coffee and word of mouth was enough. In 2002, when I started a business valuation company, I knew I needed a website, but it seemed like domain names were readily available. My, how things have changed!
It seems all the good names (short, without a hyphen, .com, etc.) were taken by a “squatter/investor.” No website, paying the annual registration fee and hoping someone would offer to buy it from them some day. This was true of modbox.com. I started a dialogue with the ‘Investor,’ discussions broke down when they replied: “Lease is expiring January 1st and it looks like they are not going to renew. Offering price will be in the six-figure range and leasing would need to be determined for 2014.” Moving on!
I had been tracking modboxUSA.com. The registration fee was due in November, and it had not been paid. I started the auction process through Go Daddy (registrar of expired domain). I won, and purchased the expired domain for $22. Well below the six-figures floated for modbox.com. That was a very exciting moment!
As I reflected, I actually liked the addition of USA, as it informs folks that the mailbox is fabricated in America, like the original 1950s and 1960s mailboxes. Sometimes things just work out!
For those seeking a domain/company name, I found an article by James Siminoff helpful. He has spent over $250 thousand on roughly 200 domain names, stating: “…I believe that a great domain is extremely important to the success of a start-up.” Click his name for a link to the article.
mid-century modern mailbox 