We develop a nonparametric approach that allows one to discriminate among alternative models of entry in …rst-price auctions. Three models of entry are considered: Levin and Smith (1994), Samuelson (1985), and a new model in which the information received at the entry stage is imperfectly correlated with valuations. We derive testable restrictions that these three models impose on the quantiles of active bidders' valuations, and develop nonparametric tests of these restrictions. We implement the tests on a dataset of highway procurement auctions in Oklahoma. Depending on the project size, we …nd no support for the Samuelson model, some support for the Levin and Smith model, and somewhat more support for the new model.

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We develop a selective entry model for first-price auctions that nests several models earlier proposed in the literature, and features a pro-competitive selection effect. The selection effect is shown to be nonparametrically identifiable, and a nonparametric test for its presence is proposed. In the empirical application to highway procurement, we find that the selection effect overwhelms the anticompetitive entry effect identified in earlier research, and restricting competition is not optimal.

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