In July 2005, WhatIsMyIP.com was sold for $386,100 in a high-profile eBay auction, marking one of the largest publicly documented domain sales on the platform at the time. This transaction underscored the increasing value of intuitive, service-driven domains during the mid-2000s internet boom and highlighted eBay’s potential as a marketplace for premium digital assets.
The 2005 Sale: A Turning Point for eBay and the Domain Market
The sale of WhatIsMyIP.com was notable for several key reasons:
• Rare Six-Figure eBay Sale – While high-value domain sales were more common in private transactions, few domains had fetched six figures on eBay before 2005. This sale demonstrated that even online auction platforms could facilitate major domain deals.
• Strong Utility & Branding – The domain’s value was rooted in its simplicity and usefulness, providing a quick and easy way for users to check their IP addresses—an increasingly essential service as global internet adoption grew.
• Context in the Market – At the time, blockbuster sales like Sex.com ($14M) and Diamond.com ($7.5M) dominated industry headlines. The WhatIsMyIP.com sale proved that functional, service-oriented domains could also command impressive prices.
Who Owns WhatIsMyIP.com Today?
Since the 2005 acquisition, WhatIsMyIP.com has remained under the ownership of Brian and a dedicated team. Over the years, the site has expanded into a full-fledged platform offering:
• IP geolocation services
• DNS record lookups
• VPN and proxy detection tools
• Educational resources on online privacy
WHOIS records indicate that the domain is currently registered through GoDaddy, with privacy protection provided by Domains By Proxy, LLC. Originally registered in 1999, the domain has maintained its status as a leading IP information resource, serving millions of users worldwide.
The Lasting Impact of the Sale
The $386,100 eBay sale of WhatIsMyIP.com foreshadowed the explosive growth of the domain aftermarket. In comparison:
• Voice.com sold for $30M in 2019.
• NFTs.com was acquired for $15M in 2022.
• Help.com reached $3M in 2023.
While WhatIsMyIP.com’s price may seem modest by today’s standards, it was a landmark moment for domain sales on eBay and highlighted the long-term value of user-focused digital assets.
For domain investors and industry enthusiasts, this sale remains a prime example of how a well-chosen domain—paired with smart development—can become a lasting, high-value internet property.
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Check out this eBay domain auction that closed at $10 million in 1999:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191121121210/https://ew.com/article/1999/04/30/dark-side-online-auctions/
The $6.7 million bid was real.
That article remained on the ew.com site for many years till fairly recently.