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On Information and Competition in Private Value Auctions

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  • Juan-José Ganuza
  • José S. Penalva Zuasti

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship between the auctioneer’s provision of information and the level of competition in private value auctions. We use a general notion of informativeness which allows us to compare the efficient with the (privately) optimal amount of information provided by the auctioneer. We show that it is not optimal for the auctioneer to provide the efficient level of information. We also look at the effect of competition as parameterized by the number of participants in the auction. We find that both the optimal and the efficient level of information increase with the number of participants in the auction, and both converge when the number of bidders goes to infinity.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan-José Ganuza & José S. Penalva Zuasti, 2005. "On Information and Competition in Private Value Auctions," Working Papers wp2005_0503, CEMFI.
    • Handle: RePEc:cmf:wpaper:wp2005_0503
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bergemann, Dirk & Pesendorfer, Martin, 2007. "Information structures in optimal auctions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 137(1), pages 580-609, November.
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    7. Stegeman, Mark, 1996. "Participation Costs and Efficient Auctions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 228-259, October.
    8. Kavajecz, Kenneth A. & Keim, Donald B., 2005. "Packaging Liquidity: Blind Auctions and Transaction Efficiencies," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(3), pages 465-492, September.
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    11. Tan, Guofu, 1992. "Entry and R & D in procurement contracting," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 41-60, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vasiliki Skreta, 2011. "On the informed seller problem: optimal information disclosure," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 15(1), pages 1-36, March.
    2. Cristián Troncoso-Valverde, 2018. "Releasing information in private-value second-price auctions," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 65(3), pages 781-817, May.
    3. Simon Board, 2009. "Revealing information in auctions: the allocation effect," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 38(1), pages 125-135, January.
    4. Carlos Canon, 2011. "Matching & Information Provision by One-Sided and Two-Sided Platforms," Working Papers 11-20, NET Institute, revised Oct 2011.

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