The paper formalizes the intuition that brands are consumed for image reasons and that advertising creates a brand's image. The key idea is that advertising informs the public of brand names and creates the possibility of conspicuous consumption by rendering brands a signalling device. In a...

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- Chapter One. English and Vickrey Auctions -- Chapter Two. From Vickrey to eBay -- Chapter Three. eBay Strategies Observed -- Chapter Four. What If eBay Were First-Price? -- Chapter Five. The Signals that Sellers Send -- Chapter Six....