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Efficiency and Revenue in Asymmetric Auctions

Author

Listed:
  • Kyungmin Kim

    (Emory University)

  • Youngwoo Koh

    (Hanyang University)

Abstract

We study the efficiency and revenue properties of first- and second-price auctions in an environment where bidders’ values are drawn from different binary distributions. We identify a necessary and sufficient condition for a first-price auction to induce an efficient allocation. The condition reveals the source of allocative inefficiencies in asymmetric firstprice auctions. We further show that the seller’s revenue is higher in a second-price auction than it is in a first-price auction whenever allocations in the two auction formats are efficient. We highlight how the difference in different bidder types’ beliefs induces the results.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyungmin Kim & Youngwoo Koh, 2019. "Efficiency and Revenue in Asymmetric Auctions," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 35, pages 371-391.
    • Handle: RePEc:kea:keappr:ker-20190701-35-2-04
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy P. Hubbard & Rene Kirkegaard, 2015. "Asymmetric Auctions with More Than Two Bidders," Working Papers 1502, University of Guelph, Department of Economics and Finance.
    2. Doni Nicola & Menicucci Domenico, 2013. "Revenue Comparison in Asymmetric Auctions with Discrete Valuations," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 429-461, September.
    3. Cheng, Harrison, 2006. "Ranking sealed high-bid and open asymmetric auctions," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4-5), pages 471-498, August.
    4. Plum, M, 1992. "Characterization and Computation of Nash-Equilibria for Auctions with Incomplete Information," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 20(4), pages 393-418.
    5. Todd Kaplan & Shmuel Zamir, 2012. "Asymmetric first-price auctions with uniform distributions: analytic solutions to the general case," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 50(2), pages 269-302, June.
    6. Arieh Gavious & Yizhaq Minchuk, 2014. "Ranking asymmetric auctions," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 43(2), pages 369-393, May.
    7. René Kirkegaard, 2012. "A Mechanism Design Approach to Ranking Asymmetric Auctions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 80(5), pages 2349-2364, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Asymmetric Auctions; Revenue Equivalence; Ex Ante Bidder Asymmetry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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