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If Winning isn't Everything, why do they keep Score? A Structural Empirical Analysis of Dutch Flower Auctions

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  • Gerard J. van den Berg

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Bas van der Klaauw

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Abstract

This paper provides a structural empirical analysis of Dutch auctions of houseplants at the flower auction in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. The data set is unique for Dutch auctions in the sense that it includes observations of all losing bids in an interval adjacent to the winning bid. The size of this interval is determined by the speed of reaction of the auction participants, and as such these data are collectible due to neurological constraints on information processing. The data on losing bids are shown to be informative on the structural model determinants. The models are estimated using the Gibbs sampler with data augmentation. We take account of data limitations concerning the number of bidders. The estimation results are used to investigate whether actual reserve prices are optimal, and to determine the effects of reserve price changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerard J. van den Berg & Bas van der Klaauw, 2007. "If Winning isn't Everything, why do they keep Score? A Structural Empirical Analysis of Dutch Flower Auctions," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-041/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20070041
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    1. An, Yonghong & Hu, Yingyao & Shum, Matthew, 2010. "Estimating first-price auctions with an unknown number of bidders: A misclassification approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 157(2), pages 328-341, August.
    2. Ketter, W., 2014. "Envisioning and Enabling Sustainable Smart Markets," ERIM Inaugural Address Series Research in Management EIA-2014-057-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam..
    3. Hu, Yingyao, 2017. "The Econometrics of Unobservables -- Latent Variable and Measurement Error Models and Their Applications in Empirical Industrial Organization and Labor Economics [The Econometrics of Unobservables]," Economics Working Paper Archive 64578, The Johns Hopkins University,Department of Economics, revised 2021.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    first-price auction; private value; speed of reaction; observing losing bids; data augmentation; Gibbs sampling; Markov Chain Monte Carlo; reserve price;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Bayesian Analysis: General
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions

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