Suppose that in Milford, Connecticut, owners of used cars that are lemons value their
cars at $2,500, and owners of used cars that are reliable value their cars at $6,000. There
are equal quantities of each type of car on the market. Buyers value low-quality cars at
$1,500 and high-quality cars at $7,000. In this market:
a. only low-quality cars will be sold at a price of $1,500.
b. only low-quality cars will be sold at a price of $2,500.
c. all cars will sell at a price of $4,250.
d. only high-quality cars will be sold at a price of $6,000.
e. only high-quality cars will be sold at a price of $7,000.
The winner’s curse occurs because:
a. competitors in auctions often make poor bids.
b. there are too many competitors in most auctions.
c. competitors in auctions usually make bids that are below the expected value of the
prize.
d. sealed-bid auctions have too much uncertainty attached to them.
e. the winning competitor in an auction will make a bid that is greater than the average
bid.