Régis Blazy, full professor at EMSBS, recently published an article in the academic journal Economic Inquiry [CNRS cat. 2, HCERES cat. A].
The article is entitled “Horizontal and vertical differentiation in comic art auctions” and was written in collaboration with Marie Blum (University of Strasbourg).
Abstract
This study investigates how vertical (quality-related) and horizontal (taste-related) differentiation influences the probability of sale and market price of auctioned artworks. We explore a new art market, namely, original comic works. By including unsold lots, we correct the selection bias commonly found in the literature. We propose an original set of variables accounting for vertical differentiation in this market (i.e., commercial and critical successes, the artist's reputation, role, and recognition). Vertically differentiated artworks do not sell better, but warrant a premium. Regarding horizontal differentiation, newly explored variables have a significant effect on sales and (often) auction prices.