Prestigious Phone Area Codes - $10,000 for a 212/310/415 Number?

Area codes are tied to geographic areas by nature and assigned to individual districts that are correlated to certain types of businesses. If you are a cold caller or do any telemarketing, you would these by heart.

area codes map

For instance, having a 212 area code is by nature NYC and associated with Wall Street, 310 is LA and tied to Hollywood, and finally 415 is associated with Silicon Valley.

area codes

Some people pay hundreds of dollars to get specific area codes and even more so for the remaining seven (7) digits to spell out something meaningful.

spelling

Questions:

  1. How important is the area code to your personal brand?
  2. How much would you pay to have a specific area code?
  3. How much MORE would you pay to have a number that spells out something?

Reference:
Wonkblog People are paying tens of thousands of dollars for custom phone numbers. These are the most expensive

 

If I owned a business I think I'd care about this but personally I value my number staying constant more than I want an in-demand area code or last 4 digits. I've had the same cell phone number (random Midwest Area code) ever since I've had a phone and I would actually pay to keep it instead of pay to get a different, more prestigious number.

 

I could not careless about my area code. What matters more is who is calling you and why. If somebody has a worthwhile reason for calling you, they will. I doubt the area code will ever stand in the way.

Only two sources I trust, Glenn Beck and singing woodland creatures.
 

Ok, and if you had an open position and the top candidate's number was from that area code would you not have HR give them a call?

I let the majority of my calls go to voicemail unless I recognize the number. There are exceptions, applying to jobs and medical appointments.

Only two sources I trust, Glenn Beck and singing woodland creatures.
 

I'm probably one of few who will care about the area code. 212 and 917 (mobile) ARE New York City. If you're from New York then you're proud of the NYC area code. I can see how if you're not a born and raised New Yorker how you probably wouldn't care. I live in SF now but plenty of people comment on my 917 number. If you meet another New Yorker in a different city they will almost always comment on the 212/917 area code, guaranteed. I would probably pay to keep the area code forever over buying a nice watch. Sounds ridiculous, but meh.

 
Best Response

Elaine and a man are talking.

MAN: You're probably one of those women who doesn't like to give out her number.

ELAINE: No, I'm not. Here you go.

MAN: 646?

ELAINE: It's a new area code.

MAN: What area? New Jersey?

ELAINE: No, no. It's right here in the city. It's the same as 212. They just multiplied it by 3, and then they added one to the middle number. It's the same.

MAN: Do I have to dial a one first?

Elaine nods and the man crumples up her number.

MAN: I'm really kinda seein' somebody.

ELAINE: Yeah? Well, so am I!

********"Babies don't cost money, they MAKE money." - Jerri Blank********
 

212 is for landlines whereas others listed work for both land and mobile lines. Pretty sure you can grab 917 on Google voice and shit also 

 

212 is for landlines whereas others listed work for both land and mobile lines. Pretty sure you can grab 917 on Google voice and shit also 

Yeah I have 347 - I wanted 917 at the time I got it but couldn’t get one.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I've got 347 for my work cell too. I normally just give out my desk number which is 212, and rings to my cell anyway if I think somebody cares. I do think that native new yorkers notice a 212 code, although most people from elsewhere don't.

If I ever switch jobs I'm going to be in for a world of pain though. I can't take my 212 number with me, because work owns the exchange (3 numbers after the area code) and my personal cell has a NJ area code and a number that looks/sounds fake. (Think 555-1234)

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 

China has the most expensive numbers:

 A number “sold for $325,000 on Sunday in an online auction by a court in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. In Chinese, the number eight is a homonym for “prosper” — or, more bluntly, “get rich.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/world/asia/chin…

“The Chinese phone number, which ended with five 8s, was so coveted that it attracted 5,000 bids over the weekend from businesses and individuals eager to own it.”

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

I have a 310 number for sale. Is anyone interested in purchasing?

 

I'll give you $7K for the number on Venmo.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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