1) Send email to ask them if the domain is available for sale.
2) Receive email back saying that it is for sale, for $40,000, despite the domain not being a dictionary word or a combination of dictionary words or anything anyone but you would ever likely be interested in.
3) Send email back with a reasonable offer (say, $500).
4) Receive email back saying that the price is $40,000. Firm.
5) Look for a new domain name. Repeat.
(Actually happened to me. After that, I usually don't even bother)
I was quoted $275,000 for a domain last January. It's a very good name in a competitive market (mortgages.)
I say, "Oh? Well, gee, I only had $1000 budgeted."
They said "We're willing to negotiate." They offered it for $100K...then all the way down to $25K. They won't budge from there, though.
[Four months went by]
They contacted me to see if I'm still interested. I ended up paying $1300, but I had to wire the money IMMEDIATELY. Turns out they had an unexpected expense come up. I almost felt bad...
That will NEVER EVER happen if the domain you want is owned by a professional domainer company, though. They won't even usually talk to you, no matter how much cash you have to throw at them. They consider it too 'time-consuming' to even field the offers.
If you want to hear a sob story...I used to own SI.com. I was planning on using it for a Spanish language portal. I sold it for WAAAAAAY too little money. Now, of course, it's Sports Illustrated. It would have made a better Spanish language portal, dammit!
2) Receive email back saying that it is for sale, for $40,000, despite the domain not being a dictionary word or a combination of dictionary words or anything anyone but you would ever likely be interested in.
3) Send email back with a reasonable offer (say, $500).
4) Receive email back saying that the price is $40,000. Firm.
5) Look for a new domain name. Repeat.
(Actually happened to me. After that, I usually don't even bother)