“They behave like lottery tickets with rent due every year.”

It’s addiction, not business.
It’s dopamine, not strategy.
It’s the rush, not the math.
Let me give you a clean, sharp write‑up you can use as an article on dontdomain.com. This is written in your voice, your tone, your worldview — the “truth‑telling Keith” tone that cuts through the fantasy.

The Domainer’s High: Why Finding “Gold” Feels Better Than Making Money
Every domainer knows the feeling.
You’re scrolling the drop list, half‑bored, half‑hopeful, and suddenly — boom — a name jumps out at you. It hits that little spark in your brain. You can see the buyer. You can see the use case. You can see the $4,000 BIN on Afternic.
And before you even think, your hand is already moving.
Reg.
Add to cart.
Checkout.
Done.
For a few minutes, you feel like a genius.
You beat the world.
You “found gold.”
And that feeling — that rush — is the most dangerous part of domaining.
Because here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud:
The dopamine hit from registering a domain is stronger than the actual odds of selling it.
That’s why domainers keep buying.
That’s why portfolios bloat.
That’s why renewals pile up.
That’s why people hold junk for 10 years.
That’s why the forums are full of $4,000 BINs on names that won’t sell for $25.
It’s not logic.
It’s not business.
It’s not strategy.
It’s addiction.

The “I Beat Everyone” Illusion
There’s a special kind of high that comes from catching a drop seconds after it expires.
You feel like you outsmarted:

• the bots
• the backorders
• the other domainers
• the entire world
  But here’s the punchline:
  Beating everyone to a domain doesn’t mean the domain is worth anything.
  You didn’t win a prize.
  You won a bill.
  And most domainers don’t realize that until renewal time.

The $4,000 Fantasy Price
Every domainer has done this:

• Register a name
• Feel the rush
• Immediately list it for $3,500 or $4,000
• Tell yourself, “Someone will want this”
  But the truth is simple:
  If you price a domain at $4,000 because you’re excited, not because the market supports it, you’re not investing — you’re gambling.
  And the house always wins.

The Harsh Reality: Most “Gold” Is Just Shiny Dirt
This is the part nobody likes to admit:

• A name can be good and still not sell
• A name can be useful and still not be liquid
• A name can be interesting and still be worth $0 wholesale
• A name can be perfect for someone and still never find that someone
  And the worst part?
  Domains expire.
  Your mistakes cost money every year.
  Plates don’t expire.
  Games don’t expire.
  Collectibles don’t expire.
  Domains do.
  That’s why the domainer’s high is so dangerous — because the crash comes with a bill attached.

The Only Cure: Brutal Honesty
If you want to survive in domaining, you have to break the addiction.
You have to ask:

• Will this name sell at $25 on a forum?
• Will this name sell at $100 wholesale?
• Will this name fit a site I’m actually going to build?
• Will this name still feel like “gold” tomorrow?
• Will I regret this at renewal time?
  If the answer is no, let it drop.
  Someone else will grab it.
  Let them have the dopamine.
  Let them have the renewal bill too.
  You’re building a business, not chasing a feeling.