Branson.com sells for $1.6M

In a sale sure to send shockwaves through the domain community, Branson.com has sold for $1.6M

For those who don’t know, Branson is a modest Missouri town that’s a big tourist attraction. It’s kind of like Nashville for people that don’t want to make the trip to Nashville. We’re talking country music and the like.

As stated by a press release, Branson.com just sold for $1.6M. That’s not a typo. This is a big deal sure to send shockwaves through the domain community, especially for anyone right now trying to buy a city name. Sellers of city domains will point to this sale and say “Branson.com sold for $1.6M. Any sizable city ought to sell for millions.” They’ll leave out the context that Branson.com had an existing web site and scores a whopping 5,563 with extension on Overture. We also don’t know if this was an all cash deal or involved equity.

Let’s put it in perspective. Vancouver.com, a sizable Canadian city, sold for only $123,000 this year. Macau.com, a gambling destination, sold for $550,000. Orleans.com sold for $45,450 (obviously not as good as NewOrleans.com). In 2005 Uruguay.com sold for $175,000, Bogota.com sold for $159,500, Paraguay.com for $150,000, and Redmond.com for $62,999.

Branson.com, the modest Missouri town, sells for more than 10x Vancouver.com? Wow. But on a purely traffic basis, this makes sense.

I ought to note that I have a beef with Branson. The press release regarding this sale refers to Branson as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Sorry guys, that’s my city — Austin — the true Live Music Capital of the World.