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The Chopstick Auction: A Study of the Exposure Problem in Multi-Unit Auctions

Author

Listed:
  • Sander Onderstal

    (Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, CPB Netherlands)

  • Florian Englmaier

    (Economics Department, University of Munich)

  • Pablo Guillen

    (Autonoma Barcelona, CSIC)

  • Loreto Llorente

    (Departamento de Economía, Universidad Pública de Navarra)

  • Rupert Sausgruber

    (Department of Public Economics, University of Innsbruck)

Abstract

Multi-unit auctions are sometimes plagued by the so-called exposure problem. In this paper, we analyze a simple game called the ‘chopstick auction’ in which bidders are confronted with the exposure problem. We analyze the chopstick auction with incomplete information both in theory and in a laboratory experiment. In theory, the chopstick auction has an efficient equilibrium and is revenue equivalent with the second-price sealed-bid auction in which the exposure problem is not present. In the experiment, however, we find that the chopstick auction is slightly less efficient but yields far more revenue than the second-price sealed-bid auction.

Suggested Citation

  • Sander Onderstal & Florian Englmaier & Pablo Guillen & Loreto Llorente & Rupert Sausgruber, 2004. "The Chopstick Auction: A Study of the Exposure Problem in Multi-Unit Auctions," Working Papers 2004.10, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    • Handle: RePEc:fem:femwpa:2004.10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sandro Brusco & Giuseppe Lopomo, 2009. "Simultaneous ascending auctions with complementarities and known budget constraints," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 38(1), pages 105-124, January.
    2. Meng, Xin & Gunay, Hikmet, 2017. "Exposure problem in multi-unit auctions," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 165-187.
    3. Emiel Maasland & Sander Onderstal, 2006. "Going, Going, Gone! A Swift Tour of Auction Theory and its Applications," De Economist, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 197-249, June.
    4. Brusco, Sandro & Lopomo, Giuseppe & Marx, Leslie M., 2009. "The [`]Google effect' in the FCC's 700Â MHz auction," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 101-114, June.
    5. Christian Ewerhart, 2022. "A “fractal” solution to the chopstick auction," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 74(4), pages 1025-1041, November.
    6. Shakun D. Mago & Roman M. Sheremeta, 2017. "Multi‐battle Contests: An Experimental Study," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(2), pages 407-425, October.
    7. Anthony M. Kwasnica & Katerina Sherstyuk, 2013. "Multiunit Auctions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 461-490, July.
    8. Mancini, Simona & Gansterer, Margaretha, 2022. "Bundle generation for last-mile delivery with occasional drivers," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chopstick auction; Exposure problem; Laboratory experiment; Second-price sealed-bid auction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions

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