The experts at Moniker.com are willing to provide tips on how to analyze a domain's value. It is part art, and part science. Whether you ask them for guidance or conduct your own research, be sure to do your homework before the auction begins.

The auction catalog (available soon) will contain the list of available domains along with some statistics and the "reserve price range" set by the seller, which gives an indication of the minimum price they will accept.

You can use the statistics available in the catalog to start your own valuation analysis. But don't forget to add variables specific to your situation and your estimation of the SEO/SEM and type-in benefits that can be gained by the purchase of a particular domain.

If desired, for a small fee, Moniker can provide you with an official Moniker Domain Appraisal. They have one of the most comprehensive and well-respected domain appraisal systems on the market, which includes more than 18 criteria in its calculations.

In addition, as with physical real estate, one of the single biggest indicators of domain value is comparable sales. Moniker's appraisal makes use of a database of more than a million comparable domain values.

Finally, as you conduct your own valuation exercise for a particular domain, be sure to include an appreciation value for that domain. Like other assets, the value of domains will always appreciate over time. Even during this recent downturn in the economy, domain values have held steady.

Research historical domain sales using these resources: