Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

From the mid 1990s through 2017 I owned the boat Red Ryder.
She was built in 1984 and documented as Red Ryder from the start by her first owner. Around 1994 I picked up the hull and deck stripped of it's entire powertrain. I had engines, transmissions and outdrives rebuilt for it and put her back into service.

Back in the late 1990's I thought it would be cool to have the domain RedRyder.com. I found the domain belonged to a Red Ryder software company in California that had been founded in 1984 and shut down in 1989. They acquired and kept the domain for a long time even though the company was not officially conducting business. I asked about acquiring the name back then and never got so much as a reply of any kind. I let it slip to the back burner for a few years.

I believe it was 2004 that it's registration had lapsed. I inquired and got nowhere other than to learn the owner exercized his right to continue as registrant before the grace period had also lapsed. I still had the boat then and still thought it would be cool to have the domain.

My interest picked up again in earnest after I became "reddrryder" on youtube in 2006, followed by RedRyder on the mamod forum. It would still be a long uphill climb. I learned that I could get an offer submitted to the owner by a domain broker. Problem is they would not even show the owner and offer that was under 2,000 USD. This just wasn't in the cards. I told them at this time I was thinking more like 200 USD.

After a few more years the domain expired again and I pounced with no success because once again the owner stepped up and paid his dues and kept it (even though he never used it beyond his defunct company website). The website did exist at least through part of the 1990s.

I knew when the thing would lapse on March 19th each year and I checked each year forward. Each year the owner renewed it.
Working with Godaddy I got on a wait list or notice list or something. After forgetting about for the more hectic last couple years, I got a notice that redryder.com was up for auction for 7 days.

I put in a couple low bids right away. Then waited until the end today and chose a maximum amount (a little under600) Evidently shill bidding is undeterred in these auctions. From the time the auction ended, a bid came in faithfully up 1 increment at 1 minute and 30 seconds before the end thus extending it for anther 5 minutes. I had made up my mind I would not raise my proxy bid. At 520. The other remaining bidder dropped out. While this is considerably more than I wanted to spend 20 years ago, I was pleased to take advantage of this opportunity which had truly never presented itself in the past.

What may have happened here is that the domain reg lapsed back in March and the owner failed to renew so Godaddy auctioned it off.
Or...
The owner may have asked Godaddy to auction it off for him.

Either way, I am grateful.

I have no immediate plans for the domain so for the time being, I may just have it forward traffic to our forum here.

Gil

The internet geek in me can 100% understand the whole process you have gone through to get "RedRyder.com". 

Congratulations Gil!

Major Congratulations Gil .... your extreme patience has paid off!

Any chance we can see a photo or three of the Red Ryder Boat???

Yes.

Congrats Gil!!

Wow, I thought you were just a big fan of the Daisy BB gun! 

Congrats on getting the domain (finally)
Dang, what a boat, twin supercharged engines.... WOW ...what kind of combined horsepower did those twin "Cobra's" make ? I'll bet the exhaust note was delicious.

.
They were both set up on a dyno at 825 HP each and 1,000 ft lbs torque using 91 octane fuel.

Here are a couple seconds of sound:

A signature "Gil Move", Relentless Execution.

Well done Gil!

A signature "Gil Move", Relentless Execution.

Well done Gil!

Thanks, Charlie! 

This one took a long time to reel in. It's a good thing I had plenty of other things to do over the years.