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Ascending prices and package bidding: Further experimental analysis

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  • Kagel, John H.
  • Lien, Yuanchuan
  • Milgrom, Paul

Abstract

We explore the performance of multi-round, price-guided combinatorial auctions for a previously untested class of value profiles in which synergies arise from shared fixed costs. We find that, in many cases, a simulator that bids straightforwardly does well in predicting auction performance, but exceptions arise because human bidders sometimes rely on cues besides prices to guide their package selection and because they sometimes bid aggressively on items for which they have no value in order to increase payments by bidders seeking complementary packages. In our experiments, this latter behavior not only raises prices, but can also improve efficiency by mitigating the threshold problem. Comparisons between a combinatorial clock auction (CCA) and a simultaneous ascending auction (SAA) are reported.

Suggested Citation

  • Kagel, John H. & Lien, Yuanchuan & Milgrom, Paul, 2014. "Ascending prices and package bidding: Further experimental analysis," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 210-231.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:85:y:2014:i:c:p:210-231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2014.02.006
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Scott Duke Kominers & Alexander Teytelboym & Vincent P Crawford, 2017. "An invitation to market design," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 33(4), pages 541-571.
    2. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta & David C. Parkes & Richard Steinberg, 2024. "Combinatorial Auctions in Practice," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(2), pages 517-553, June.
    3. Heczko, Alexander & Kittsteiner, Thomas & Ott, Marion, 2018. "The Performance of Core-Selecting Auctions: An Experiment," EconStor Preprints 176842, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    4. Nicholas C. Bedard & Jacob K. Goeree & Philippos Louis & Jingjing Zhang, 2024. "Sealed-bid versus ascending spectrum auctions," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 27(2), pages 299-324, April.
    5. Domènech, Gerard & Núñez, Marina, 2022. "Axioms for the optimal stable rules and fair-division rules in a multiple-partners job market," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 469-484.
    6. Bernhard Kasberger & Alexander Teytelboym, 2022. "The Combinatorial Multi-Round Ascending Auction," Papers 2203.11783, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2024.
    7. Munro, David R. & Rassenti, Stephen J., 2019. "Combinatorial clock auctions: Price direction and performance," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 195-217.
    8. Kazumori, Eiichiro & Belch, Yaakov, 2019. "t-Tree: The Tokyo toolbox for large-scale combinatorial auction experiments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    9. Heczko, Alexander & Kittsteiner, Thomas & Ott, Marion, 2023. "The benefits of auctioneer competition: Merging auctions and adding auctioneers," ZEW Discussion Papers 23-038, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    10. Henriques, David, 2023. "A combinatorial auction to sell TV broadcasting rights in league sports," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6).
    11. Gerard Domènech Gironell & Marina Núñez Oliva, 2022. "Axioms for the optimal stable rules and fair-division rules in a multiple-partners job market," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2022/419, University of Barcelona School of Economics.
    12. Marszalec, Daniel, 2018. "Fear not the simplicity - An experimental analysis of auctions for complements," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 81-97.
    13. Marina Núñez & Francisco Robles, 2023. "Overbidding and underbidding in package allocation problems," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2023/440, University of Barcelona School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Package auctions; SAA auctions; CCA auctions; Threshold problem;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions

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