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Dynamic adverse selection with a patient seller

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  • Beccuti, Juan
  • Möller, Marc

Abstract

This paper considers dynamic bilateral trade with short-term commitment. We show that, when the seller is more patient than the buyer, there exist systematic differences between the optimal selling and renting mechanisms. While the former consists of simple price-posting, the latter induces the buyer to choose between a secure- and a random-delivery contract. Allowing for mechanisms more general than price-posting reduces the seller's cost of learning the buyer's valuation in the renting case. Renting leads to more learning than selling but (unless the horizon is sufficiently long) only when general mechanisms are available. Our results contrast with the common view that the restriction to price-posting is innocuous and that informational asymmetries are more persistent under renting than under selling.

Suggested Citation

  • Beccuti, Juan & Möller, Marc, 2018. "Dynamic adverse selection with a patient seller," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 95-117.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:173:y:2018:i:c:p:95-117
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2017.10.009
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    Cited by:

    1. Beccuti, Juan & Möller, Marc, 2021. "Screening by mode of trade," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 400-420.
    2. Juan Beccuti, 2020. "On the Optimality of Price-posting in Rental Markets," Diskussionsschriften dp2007, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    3. Mikhail Golosov & Luigi Iovino, 2021. "Social Insurance, Information Revelation, and Lack of Commitment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(9), pages 2629-2665.
    4. Correia-da-Silva, João, 2021. "Optimal priority pricing by a durable goods monopolist," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 310-328.
    5. Francesc Dilmé, 2021. "The Role of Discounting in Bargaining with One-Sided Offers," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 063, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    6. Doval, Laura & Skreta, Vasiliki, 0. "Optimal mechanism for the sale of a durable good," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society.
    7. Laura Doval & Vasiliki Skreta, 2022. "Mechanism Design With Limited Commitment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(4), pages 1463-1500, July.
    8. Breig, Zachary, 2022. "Repeated contracting without commitment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    9. Brzustowski, Thomas & Georgiadis Harris, Alkis & Szentes, Balázs, 2023. "Smart contracts and the Coase conjecture," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117950, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Tangerås, Thomas & Gick, Wolfgang, 2021. "Contracting with Endogenously Incomplete Commitment: Escape Clauses," Working Paper Series 1390, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    11. Schäfers, Sebastian, 2022. "Product Lotteries and Loss Aversion," Working papers 2022/06, Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel.
    12. Gerardi, Dino, 2018. "Dynamic Contracting with Limited Commitment and the Ratchet Effect," CEPR Discussion Papers 12699, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic adverse selection; Mechanism design; Price-posting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly

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