Equilibrium Price Dynamics in Perishable Goods Markets: The Case of Secondary Markets for Major League Baseball Tickets

Andrew Sweeting

No 14505, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper analyzes the dynamics of prices in two online secondary markets for Major League Baseball tickets. Controlling for ticket quality, prices tend to decline significantly as a game approaches. The paper describes and tests alternative theoretical explanations for why this happens in equilibrium, considering the problems of both buyers and sellers. It shows that sellers cut prices (either fixed prices or reserve prices in auctions) because of declining opportunity costs of holding onto tickets as their future selling opportunities disappear. Even though prices can be expected to fall, the majority of observed early purchases can be rationalized by plausible ticket valuations and return to market costs given product differentiation and uncertainties about ticket availability.

JEL-codes: L11 L81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mic and nep-spo
Note: IO
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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