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Measuring the Growth from Better and Better Goods

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Mark Bils

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Abstract

Using micro CPI data, I show that much of inflation for durable goods since 1988 reflects, not increases in price for a given set of products, but rather shifts to a newer set of product models that display higher prices. I examine how these price differences should be divided between quality growth and price inflation based on how consumer spending responds to product substitutions. For all goods examined (cars, other vehicles, televisions, and other consumer electronics), buying shifts to the newer models despite their higher prices. This suggests that quality growth for durables has averaged at least 5.8% per year, more than double the rate implied by CPI measurement.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 10606.

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Date of creation: Jul 2004
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10606

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O4 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Genesove, David, 1993. "Adverse Selection in the Wholesale Used Car Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(4), pages 644-65, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Steven Berry & Ariel Pakes, 2007. "The Pure Characteristics Demand Model," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1193-1225, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Jack E. Triplett, 1997. "Measuring consumption: the post-1973 slowdown and the research issues," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, issue May, pages 9-42. [Downloadable!]
  4. Robert J. Gordon, 1990. "The Measurement of Durable Goods Prices," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gord90-1.
  5. Rochet, Jean-Charles & Stole, Lars A, 2002. "Nonlinear Pricing with Random Participation," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 69(1), pages 277-311, January.
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Frank R. Lichtenberg, 2006. "The Impact of New Laboratory Procedures and Other Medical Innovations on the Health of Americans, 1990-2003: Evidence from Longitudinal, Disease-Level Data," NBER Working Papers 12120, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Frank R. Lichtenberg & Gautier Duflos, 2008. "Pharmaceutical innovation and the longevity of Australians: a first look," NBER Working Papers 14009, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Boivin, J. & Giannoni, M., 2007. "DSGE Models in a Data-Rich Environment," Documents de Travail 162, Banque de France. [Downloadable!]
  4. Ariel Burstein & Martin Eichenbaum & Sergio Rebelo, 2004. "Large Devaluations and the Real Exchange Rate," NBER Working Papers 10986, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Jeremy Greenwood & Gokce Uysal, 2003. "New Goods and the Transition to a New Economy," Economie d'Avant Garde Research Reports 5, Economie d'Avant Garde. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Carol Corrado & Wendy Dunn & Maria Otoo, 2006. "Incentives and prices for motor vehicles: what has been happening in recent years?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2006-09, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  7. Marc P. Giannoni & Jean Boivin, 2005. "DSGE Models in a Data-Rich Environment," Computing in Economics and Finance 2005 431, Society for Computational Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Juan Carlos Hallak & Peter K. Schott, 2008. "Estimating Cross-Country Differences in Product Quality," NBER Working Papers 13807, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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