How much would you pay for a special number?

Got this spam text message by someone selling special mobile phone numbers. I’ve bought a special number before (ends with 5555) for about Php1,500 but I wouldn’t spend any more than maybe three grand for a really special one.

I thought it was such a lucrative business for SIM card retailers to be able to sell these special numbers (gold numbers) for as much as 200 times their street value.

Just look at these numbers:

0907.8000.800
0907.8000.008
Php8,000 each

0909.8888.855
0909.8888.833
0909.8888.000
0909.8888.111
0909.8888.222
0909.8888.666
Php8,000 each

0909.8886.666
0909.8888.988
0909.8888.788
Php10,000 each

0909.8888.882
0909.8888.883
Php20,000 each

Was shocked when I saw the numbers sold for 20 grand. Are people really buying golden numbers that expensive?

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

36 Comments

Berchman says:

16 years ago

vanity costs a lot!
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luz climaco says:

16 years ago

I have a prepaid cell number on globe with cell number 09XX-XXX-7777.

It only cost my P90. You just have to be diligent and patient in looking for a good one.
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Ederic says:

16 years ago

Ang mahal naman. Ayoko nung prefix. I prefer 0918/0919 saka 0917. :p
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Felipe says:

16 years ago

Not a cent.

I have to change number from time to time to get away from people who keeps on bugging me. Lol.
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Jejo says:

16 years ago

I used to have a number 09XX-33X-XX33. Bought it for 70 pesos, memorized it less than an hour.

Due to the bad service I get from the network, I changed to the other, getting a number 091A-A3B-0AAB

A stands for a digit. B stands for another. Got it for 45 pesos.

I wonder why people want to buy such numbers away, they’re much more expensive than some phones. It would only take them maybe a week at most to memorize their numbers.
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denisexy says:

16 years ago

I think the target market here are the Chinese Filipinos. You know how they are with numbers, from plate numbers to phone numbers. I noticed the numbers listed above have a whole lot of 8’s in them. The Chinese value the number 8 too much they may be even willing to shell out that kind of money.

As for me, I have Sun postpaid so I was able to choose my number. =)
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Andre Marcelo-Tanner says:

16 years ago

if you run a business, a mobile number is very important in some cases and a brandable and special one is worth a lot. im surprised theyre that cheap actually. its not like these things are a common commodity. how much do you think 9111111 cost for Pizza Hut or 77777, 55555, 922222 etc
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Kenneth says:

16 years ago

I would like to have numbers like those, but of course, with the least possible price. :-D
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TechPinas says:

16 years ago

I’m actually surprised that 0909.8888.788 is cheaper than 0909.8888.882
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Lyle says:

16 years ago

Got a few “special numbers” too but didn’t pay a premium for it. I guess I’m just lucky with my mobile numbers.

Some of my old “vanity numbers” include:

(09XX) XXX-7777
(09XX) 7X7-X777
(09XX) 7X8-X888
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