Major bubble episodes are rare events. In this paper, we examine what factors might cause some asset price bubbles to become very large. We recreate, in a laboratory setting, some of the specific institutional features investors in the South Sea Company faced in 1720. Several factors have been...

In the experiment, subjects have tables at their disposal that indicate the expected future dividend stream, which corresponds to the fundamental value, at any time. Subjects take a quiz on how to read the table before the market opens. Thus the fundamental value of the asset is common knowledge...