Hi Stij,
congrats on sale. I think it was a wise sale. Ideally, yes it could have got sent to auction, but there was no guarantee anyone else would have bid, but it was the scenario a seller would like most. An acceptable bid, then send to auction. Looks like the buyer was a reseller to me. The tactic he used is a tactic i have had to use now as a buyer.
Since the auction format started on sedo you risk losing a domain you have found & are willing to pay good money for.
It's worth accepting one bid higher than you would normally pay for to save the risk of being sent to auction.
Looks like they did this.
The glass is half full though. If you had sent it to auction on $25k, there is no guarantee another buyer would have got involved. They probably would but hey..
Anyway, i think you got a good price & so did the buyer.
You have to remember flowers was a crazy illogical price, it can't be compared to anything else. OUR sales count for more, having said that, an enduser was involved in flowers too, the com owner.
Anyway, you know my views as we discussed Gamble.
Congratulations!
Now you are in a very nice position to bank the money & of your other .mobi sales. You can now develop your other mobi domains & wait for top dollar.
Have a great Christmas!
Pred