The Alchian-Allen (1964) effect states that when a fixed per-unit cost is added to two substitutes, the more expensive (higher quality) one becomes relatively cheaper, and, thus, its consumption will increase. When applied to trade in vertically-differentiated goods, the importing regions demand...

This article uses the data of 10 auctions from the two largest Australian auction houses to study how a racing horse is priced. We ask whether bloodline is indeed a determining factor. We find that the track record of its parents and siblings are important factors in determining the price of a...