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The Relevance of a Choice of Auction Format in a Competitive Environment

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  • Matthew O. Jackson
  • Ilan Kremer

Abstract

We examine the relevance of an auction format in a competitive environment by comparing uniform and discriminatory price auctions with many bidders in a private values setting. We show that if the number of objects for sale is small relative to the number of bidders, then all equilibria of both auctions are approximately efficient and lead to approximately the same revenue. When the number of objects for sale is proportional to the number of bidders, then the particulars of the auction format matter. All equilibria of the uniform auction are efficient, while all of the equilibria of the discriminatory auction are inefficient. The relative revenue rankings of the auction formats can go in either direction, depending on the specifics of the environment. These conclusions regarding the efficiency and revenue ranking are in contrast to the previous literature, which focused on the case of independent information across agents. Copyright 2006, Wiley-Blackwell.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew O. Jackson & Ilan Kremer, 2006. "The Relevance of a Choice of Auction Format in a Competitive Environment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(4), pages 961-981.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:73:y:2006:i:4:p:961-981
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-937X.2006.00404.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Mezzetti, Claudio & Tsetlin, Ilia, 2008. "On the lowest-winning-bid and the highest-losing-bid auctions," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(9-10), pages 1040-1048, September.
    2. Han Hong & Harry J. Paarsch & Pai Xu, 2013. "On the asymptotic distribution of the transaction price in a clock model of a multi-unit, oral, ascending-price auction within the common-value paradigm," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 44(4), pages 664-685, December.
    3. Sudip Gupta & Rangarajan K. Sundaram & Suresh Sundaresan, 2021. "Underwriting Government Debt Auctions: Auction Choice and Information Production," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(5), pages 3127-3149, May.
    4. Baisa, Brian, 2016. "Overbidding and inefficiencies in multi-unit Vickrey auctions for normal goods," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 23-35.
    5. Bajo-Buenestado, Raúl, 2017. "Welfare implications of capacity payments in a price-capped electricity sector: A case study of the Texas market (ERCOT)," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 272-285.
    6. Tomoya Tajika & Tomoya Kazumura, 2016. "Non-manipulability of Walrasian mechanisms in economies with a large number of objects," ISER Discussion Paper 0972, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    7. Harstad, Ronald M. & Pekec, Aleksandar Sasa & Tsetlin, Ilia, 2008. "Information aggregation in auctions with an unknown number of bidders," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 476-508, March.
    8. Tomoya Tajika & Tomoya Kazumura, 2019. "Non-manipulability of uniform price auctions with a large number of objects," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 48(2), pages 543-569, June.
    9. Gadi Fibich & Arieh Gavious, 2010. "Large auctions with risk-averse bidders," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 39(3), pages 359-390, July.
    10. Aleksandar Saša Pekev{c} & Ilia Tsetlin, 2008. "Revenue Ranking of Discriminatory and Uniform Auctions with an Unknown Number of Bidders," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(9), pages 1610-1623, September.
    11. Eaves, James & Williams, Jeffrey & Power, Gabriel J., 2016. "Do traders strategically time their pledges during real-world Walrasian auctions?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 109-118.
    12. Pycia, Marek & Woodward, Kyle, 2021. "Auctions of Homogeneous Goods: A Case for Pay-as-Bid," CEPR Discussion Papers 15656, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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