How a Turkish Operator Builds Domain Investment Content — Methodology and Limitations
By Mustafa Bilgic, sole proprietor — domain investor since 2019 | Last reviewed: 2026-05-08 | ~1,500 words
The honest backstory
I am Mustafa Bilgic. I run names.center from Adıyaman, Türkiye, as one of about a dozen specialist sites I operate. I have been a domain investor since 2019. I have a portfolio of approximately 200-300 domains across multiple TLDs (.com, .ai, .io, .net, several ccTLDs). My portfolio is small relative to professional investors with 10,000+ domains. I am not a recognized broker (no Sedo / DAN.com / Afternic broker title). I have not sold a $1M+ domain. I am also not Frank Schilling, Mike Mann, or any other industry name. I am a small portfolio investor who reads the public market data carefully and writes about what I find.
What names.center is
names.center is a research-compilation and reference site for domain investors and small portfolio holders. The pages fall into:
- Market analysis: .ai TLD economics, .com vs new gTLDs, dropcatching market structure.
- Reference data: NameBio TLDStats compilations, Sedo report excerpts, ICANN registrar data.
- Educational content: How to value a domain, what counts as a premium domain, dropcatching mechanics.
- My own portfolio activity: Some pages discuss specific portfolio decisions with full disclosure.
Source priority
Tier 1:
- Verisign DNIB (Domain Name Industry Brief) - quarterly
- ICANN registrar transaction reports (ICANN-STR)
- NameBio TLDStats API for aftermarket sales data
- Sedo quarterly reports
- GoDaddy investor relations (10-K, 10-Q)
- Tucows investor relations
- Industry trade publications (DomainSherpa, DNAcademy)
Tier 2:
- NamePros, DNJournal community analysis
- Andrew Allemann's DomainNameWire daily newsletter
- Rick Schwartz's DomainGang
Tier 3:
- Reddit r/domain, r/domains
- Twitter/X domain investor accounts
- Domain Discord communities
What I don't do
- I do not provide individual domain valuations. "How much is mydomain.com worth?" is a complex factor analysis that requires a professional appraisal (GoDaddy, Sedo, Estibot, or a recognized broker). I will not give individual valuations by email.
- I do not sell domains via this site. The /buy-domains.php and similar marketplace pages on this site point to external brokers (Sedo, DAN.com, Afternic, etc.). I am not the seller.
- I do not represent buyers or sellers. I am not a broker. Use a real broker for high-value transactions.
- I do not run dropcatching infrastructure. I have used SnapNames and DropCatch.com as a customer; I don't operate any dropcatcher.
- I do not promote questionable trademark domains. Cybersquatting is a federal violation under ACPA in the US (15 USC §1125(d)) and equivalent in other jurisdictions. I do not promote trademark-confusing domains as investments.
- I do not auto-publish AI content.
- I am open about my conflicts. When I write about a TLD where I hold inventory, I disclose it.
The names.center marketplace pages
The /browse.php, /buy-domains.php, /cart.php, /checkout.php pages on this site implement a marketplace UI for the small inventory I personally hold. Transactions on this site are handled via my own escrow setup (or external services like Escrow.com). Volume is small. The marketplace is not the primary purpose of names.center; it is incidental to the research and reference content.
My portfolio disclosure
I currently hold:
- ~150-200 .com domains (mix of generic single-word, two-word, and brandable)
- ~25-40 .ai domains (acquired 2022-2025 during the AI startup boom)
- ~15-25 .io domains
- ~10-20 .net domains
- ~30-50 various ccTLDs and new gTLDs
The portfolio's sale history through 2026: about 8-12 sales per year, average $1,800-$3,500 per sale. This puts me in the small-investor segment, not the major-portfolio segment. My data and analysis come from this perspective; the views may not generalize to mega-portfolio investors.
How I handle errors
Real corrections from 2025-2026:
- 2025-04: A NameBio sale figure was outdated; reader pointed it out; corrected within 48 hours; quarterly review schedule added.
- 2025-09: A page incorrectly attributed a sale to Sedo instead of Afternic; corrected.
- 2026-02: A .ai market analysis used the all-market average instead of retail subset; rewrote with proper segmentation; added a "data boundary" note.
- 2026-04: A registrar market share figure used 2024 GoDaddy 10-K instead of 2025; updated to current.
The "is your business model affiliate-driven" question
names.center has multiple revenue streams:
- Adsterra display ads: Programmatic, no editorial influence on content.
- Direct domain sales: When I sell a domain from my portfolio.
- Affiliate links to registrars: Disclosed; we get small commission when readers register through our link.
I have NO relationship where a registrar pays me to feature them prominently. The "Best registrar" pages reflect public ICANN data and our personal experience, not paid placement.
Sister sites disclosure
I run sites including FPSAim (FPS hardware), FPSTrain (FPS training research), FXKRW (Korean FX), Payroll Calculator (US payroll tax), Settlement Calculator (US personal injury reference), Moving Calculator (US relocation), UK Calculator (UK tax), RechnerKalkulator (German finance), Library Hours 24, AIPostMockup, Event.com.de, Kahramanmarasemlak, CoveredCallCalculator, Nexorev. All are operated as a sole proprietor under my own name.
Direct, honest answer
If you ask whether to trust names.center research data: trust the underlying federal data sources we cite (Verisign DNIB, ICANN, NameBio). Trust our compilation and analysis as a small-portfolio investor's perspective. Do not treat individual page recommendations as professional investment advice.
For mega-portfolio decisions ($100K+ valuations, escrow disputes, brand-name acquisition strategy), engage a real broker (Sedo PNC team, Afternic, Domain Holdings) or specialist attorney. names.center is the small-investor reference; not the high-end advisory.
— Mustafa Bilgic, May 8, 2026, Adıyaman.