Auction markets for specialty food products with geographical indications

We present a first analysis of online auction markets for specialty food products. We identify auction prices, trade volume, and value for domestic and foreign-origin specialty ham with geographical indications (GIs) that were sold in online auctions in Germany within a 1-month period. Applying hedonic modeling, we examine potential factors that may influence online bidding behavior and final auction prices. We estimate positive auction price effects for weight, bidding activity, and auction length, that the domestic product is sold at a discount, that higher shipping costs have a negative impact on final prices, and that auctions ending on Fridays and Saturdays yield lower prices. The model may be used to estimate the value of GIs. In our example, we estimate relative price differences of 20–30% for the GIs of three specialty hams (Prosciutto di Parma, Jamón Serrano, and Schwarzwälder Schinken).     

Hedonic pricing and the role of stud fees in the market for thoroughbred yearlings in Australia

Using data from one of Australia's largest thoroughbred auction houses, we investigate the price determinants of thoroughbred yearlings sold at auction. We include novel key variables to construct hedonic pricing models and examine the relative role of stud fees compared to the wide range of attributes in the pricing of yearlings. We find that the price effect of stud fees is influenced by the value buyers place on both the characteristics of sires and the characteristics of sire side siblings. The findings imply that the quality of dams a sire has been matched within the breeding market has consequential effects on yearling prices through the sire's stud fee and progeny.     

PRICE EFFECTS OF WOOL MARKETING INNOVATIONS: SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Conflicting claims are often made about the price effects of specific wool marketing innovations. In this paper, a regression model is used to estimate the price effects of two innovations, namely, computerised selling by separation and pre-sale, dense packaging of wool. The results are indicative of aggregate price differentials between wool sold via the 'normal' system and via an innovative system for the particular wool types and sale dates analysed. The extent to which price effects may be offset by differences in selling charges is also considered. In addition, some underlying reasons for price differences, where they exist, are proposed.     

The Collusion-deterring Effect of Pre-attributed Supplies and the Hog Auction in Quebec

The hog/pork industry in Quebec has been going through major institutional changes since 1989, the year an electronic auction was put in place to market all of the hogs in the province. Because the auction's ability to generate high prices did not meet the expectations of hog producers, the pure auction system was replaced by a hybrid one in 1994. In this system, most of the hog supply was pre-attributed to processors at a negotiated price based on the US. price while the remainder of the provincial supply of hogs was sold through the auction. In this paper, we investigate how a seemingly inefficient marketing mechanism like pre-attributions can increase the efficiency of a usually efficient mechanism like an auction. We present theoretical arguments regarding the sustainability of collusion under the pure auction and hybrid systems in addition to analyzing auction prices with modern time series tools.     

Tractors on eBay: Differences between Internet and In-Person Auctions

We provide a systematic examination of the differences between Internet and in-person auction prices for used tractors. A hedonic model estimated with transactions pooled between eBay and in-person auctions reveals statistically distinct price surfaces for the two auction venues and predicts significantly lower prices for comparable equipment sold on eBay, though this difference is attenuated for tractors fully covered by eBay's buyer protection program and is fully absent for the most frequently traded tractor. An endogenous venue selection model reveals that larger, more valuable tractors from states with more valuable stocks of machinery are more likely to be offered on eBay.     

A SIMULATED STUDY OF AN AUCTION MARKET

A simulated model of an auction market is developed showing the relationship between the variation in valuations, the price variation and the number of independent bidders in the market. Average prices paid in a market with two or three bidders are less than average valuations. Average prices are progressively greater than average valuations as the number of bidders increases beyond four. Some applications of this model in the Australian wool market are discussed.     

城市再生水项目的特许经营权拍卖机制设计及水价研究

通过对城市再生水特许经营项目的考察,探讨了特许经营项目中再生水如何定价的问题,设计了一种具有可分性的再生水特许经营权拍卖机制,并分别研究了在这种拍卖机制下项目公司向政府指定机构售水的价格的影响因素以及政府指定机构向用户售水的价格的确定方法。最后考察了这种拍卖机制所具有的激励相容特点。     

PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS AND ARBITRAGE IN THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND WOOL MARKETS*

The physical characteristics of wool are important determinants of its spinning properties, yarn quality and end use. The degree to which wools from different countries of origin may be substituted has important implications for the domestic marketing policies of Australia and New Zealand. The hypothesis examined in this paper is that the differences in wool prices can be explained by differences in the physical characteristics of the wool and that objective measures of these characteristics allow for effective arbitrage between these markets. The alternative hypothesis is that premiums or discounts exist owing to country of origin. A hedonic price analysis was conducted on wool prices in Australia and New Zealand using a balanced sample of sale lot data from the 1986-87 selling season. In the year examined, there was no evidence of any price premiums associated with country of origin.     

Factors Influencing Organic and Fair Trade Coffee Growers Level of Engagement with Cooperatives: The Case of Coffee Farmers in Mexico

We study the factors influencing the percentage of organic and fair trade certified coffee sold through a cooperative by growers of five cooperatives in Mexico. The percentage of coffee sold through the cooperative was used as a proxy of growers’ engagement with a cooperative. Using factor analysis and a fractional probit regression, we evaluated the proposition that the level of engagement can be explained by transaction cost economics, social norms and connections, and farmer and farm business characteristics. We found that farm size, uncertainty regarding cooperative time of payment to the members and cooperative commitment on price to be paid negatively influence the level of engagement. In contrast, asset specificity, relational commitment, and price have a positive impact on engagement. Our results may help cooperatives and policy makers to build strategies aiming to increase this level of engagement. This is relevant because lower grower engagement has been found to be positively correlated with weak performing cooperatives.     

How well do conservation auctions perform in achieving landscape‐level outcomes? A comparison of auction formats and bid selection criteria

This paper studies the performance of auction design features regarding pricing mechanisms and bid selection criteria for securing wildlife zones across different holdings. We compare two pricing mechanisms: a discriminatory‐price auction and a uniform‐price ascending auction, and four bid selection criteria on the basis of: total bid, bid‐per‐value ratio, bid‐per‐area ratio and a mixed criterion where bids are formed on the basis of cost but they are selected based on the bid‐per‐value ratio. We develop a best‐response group‐bidding model for a discriminatory‐price auction where bidders form optimal group bids for individual wildlife zones. In the uniform‐price ascending auction, individual landholders respond to prices, which are successively raised by the auctioneer and whenever all the landholders from a single zone agree to participate (i.e. the first zone is formed), the auction stops. Based on numerical simulations using a bio‐economic model of malleefowl conservation, we observe that the discriminatory‐price auction is more cost‐effective than the uniform‐price ascending auction. However, the budgetary cost‐effectiveness of a discriminatory‐price auction is sensitive to bidder uncertainty about the number of competing bidder groups and the highest cost of establishing a wildlife zone among these groups. In terms of bid selection, the mixed bid selection criterion performs best. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.     

The Usefulness of Experimental Auctions in Determining Consumers' Willingness-to-Pay for Quality-Differentiated Products

The validity and effectiveness of using experimental auctions to elicit consumers' willingness-to-pay for closely related, quality-differentiated products is examined. The effect of panelists' demographics on bid values and auction winners, and the impact of experimental procedures on auction prices are analyzed. Demographic variables are poor predictors of bids and auction winners. Experimental procedures such as panel size and initial endowment influence market price level. Relative bid differences for paired samples are primarily influenced by relative differences in taste panel ratings. Relative willingness-to-pay values elicited through experimental auctions appear valid, while actual willingness-to-pay values are influenced by experimental design.     

Demand for temperature and rainfall index insurance in India

Weather index insurance has been attracting considerable attention from academics and policymakers. This study investigates the demand for two types of index insurance sold in India: temperature index insurance for dry season and rainfall index insurance for subsequent monsoon season. Using data from randomized subsidy experiments, we separate purchase and quantity decisions and investigate how demand for rainfall insurance is correlated with demand for temperature insurance sold in the previous season. We find that the price (premium) does not influence purchase decisions per se but does significantly influence quantity decisions. The quantity demanded is less price‐sensitive for subsequent rainfall insurance than it is for temperature insurance. We also find that purchasers of temperature insurance tend to buy rainfall insurance more often than nonpurchasers do. However, a one‐time subsidy does not influence on subsequent demand, suggesting no price‐anchoring effect.     

农牧户兼业、规模异质与生产技术效率变化*——基于5省452户细毛羊养殖户的实证研究

［目的］利用5省452户细毛羊养殖户调研数据，分析规模异质下农牧户兼业化对细毛羊生产技术效率的影响。［方法］文章采用SBM模型和Tobit模型分别测算了农牧户细毛羊生产技术效率及不同规模下兼业化对生产技术效率的影响。［结果］（1）在其他条件不变的情况下，兼业化会显著促进农牧户生产技术效率的提升，且非农兼业程度越强对细毛羊生产技术效率的正向影响作用越大。（2）分规模来看，农业兼业形式对散养户、中规模和大规模养殖户生产技术效率具有负向影响，对小规模养殖户生产技术效率具有正向影响，但影响均不显著； 由于非农兼业形式在散养户和大规模养殖户中所带来的“劳动力流失效应”与“收入投资效应”的强度的不同，对散养户生产技术效率具有显著的负向影响，对大规模养殖户生产技术效率具有显著的正向影响。（3）受教育程度、养殖年限、养殖方式、是否接受技术培训均对养殖户总体生产技术效率具有显著的正向影响，年龄变量对养殖户总体生产技术效率具有显著的负向影响。［结论］应全面推进细毛羊标准化规模养殖进程，加大细毛羊养殖技术培训的开展与推广，加强对养殖专业合作社的法律宣传和政策引导，完善国家层面的畜牧养殖的扶持政策。     

EMPIRICAL TESTS OF SPATIAL AND STRUCTURAL EFFECTS ON CATTLE AUCTION PRICES

Two investigations are reported. The first is a comparison of average prices for two cattle types within pairs of some major auction centres in Australia. Significant price differences existed in three of the four cases studied. The second is a study of the main determinants of price differences between auction selling centres through a case study of a large and small auction centre. The major factor explaining the price differences between the two auction centres was lot size. This factor also influenced price variation within auctions. The number of buyers purchasing cattle did not affect price levels.     

Negative Values in Vickrey Auctions

Some people assign negative values for new products sold on laboratory auction blocks (i.e., irradiated meat). We explore bidding behavior in two Vickrey auctions when people have positive- and negative-induced values for the good. Aggregate bidding in the second-price auction is precise but biased—highest-value positive bidders tend to overstate benefits, whereas lowest-negative bidders understate losses. In contrast, bidding behavior in the random n th-price auction is demand revealing irrespective of induced value, but it is imprecise. Examining on- and off-margin bidding behavior, we cannot conclude that any segments of demand are significantly different than the demand revealing regression line.     

Experimental Auction Procedure: Impact on Valuation of Quality Differentiated Goods

Despite increased use of experimental auctions, a myriad of different procedures are being employed without formal consideration of how the procedures might affect results. This study investigates the effect of several procedural issues on valuation estimates from experimental auctions. Results indicate the second price auction generates higher valuations than English, Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) , and random n th price auctions, especially in latter bidding rounds, and that random n th price auction yields lower valuations than English and BDM auctions. We find that endowing subjects with a good prior to eliciting bids can have an impact on valuations, but the effect varies across auction mechanism.     

ON THE HIDDEN REVENUE EFFECTS OF WOOL PRICE STABILISATION IN AUSTRALIA: INITIAL RESULTS

A preliminary analysis of demand in eight major OECD wool-consuming countries is used to provide up-to-date estimates of price elasticities of demand for wool. Those elasticities are employed to calculate ex ante market prices, assuming no wool price stabilisation in Australia. The computed ex ante prices are used in a dynamic simulation to estimate demand and, hence, revenue from wool sales to the eight countries in the absence of reserve price operations in Australia. Based on the preferred semi-log demand curve, the variability of wool prices is estimated to have been reduced by 44 per cent, due to Australian intervention in the market up to 1977/78. However, price stabilisation is estimated to have lowered the revenue from Australian wool sales to the eight countries by S139m, or by 2 per cent, in the period up to 1977/78.     

Counting the cost: the reserve price scheme for wool 1970‐2001

This paper provides a policy commentary on the collapse in 1991 of the Australian Reserve Price Scheme for wool. A key cause of the collapse in the Scheme was a change in the RPS's governance arrangements, which led to increased political pressures to raise prices to unsustainable levels. In addition, in this paper an estimation has been made of the direct, upfront costs of the operation of the scheme, drawing on the financial accounts of the various agencies operating the RPS and subsequent wool stockpile. This was undertaken to determine the scale of the policy failure.     

Willingness to Pay for Multiple Quantities of Animal Welfare Dairy Products: Results from Random Nth‐, Second‐Price,and Incremental Second‐Price Auctions

Nonhypothetical experimental auctions are used to elicit willingness to pay for humane animal care‐certified dairy products: cheese and ice cream. We use second‐price, random Nth‐price, and incremental second‐price auctions in multiproduct, multiquantity, and multiround contexts. The results contrast participants’ bids across different auction mechanisms and different products. Differences in bidding patterns are detected across auction mechanisms as well as products. Our results suggest that subjects on average are only willing to pay a premium price for one unit of humane animal case‐certified ice cream but not for multiple quantities.     

土地拍卖中的预算约束因素研究

研究目的:分析土地拍卖中"价高者得"可能导致低效后果的原因,完善土地出让制度。研究方法:运用资产拍卖理论分析土地拍卖过程。研究结果:现实存在的预算约束确实会扭曲资源配置的效率,导致价高者得的规则失效。研究结论:政府应根据不同的现实条件选择合适的拍卖形式,设计与之相符的拍卖规则,控制非理性竞争,在实现较大收益的同时保证效率最优化。