Private Good

A private good is a product that must be purchased to be consumed, and consumption by one individual prevents another individual from consuming it. In other words, a good is considered to be a private good if there is competition between individuals to obtain the good and if consuming the good prevents someone else from consuming it.

Economists refer to private goods as rivalrous and excludable.

Examples of private goods include airplane rides and cellphones. Private goods are less likely to experience the free rider problem because a private good has to be purchased; it is not readily available for free. A company's goal in producing a private good is to make a profit. Without the incentive created by revenue, a company is unlikely to want to produce the good.

A private good is any item that can only be used, or consumed, by one party at a time. Many tangible home goods qualify, as they can only be used by those who have access to them. Any item that is effectively destroyed or rendered unusable for its original purpose through use, such as food and toilet paper, are also private goods.

Often, private goods have finite availability, making it excludable in nature. For example, only a certain number of a certain pair of designer shoes is produced, so not everyone can have those shoes. Not only is a single pair seen as a private good, but the entire product line can be included.

The majority of private goods must be purchased for a cost. This cost offsets the fact that the use of the good by one prevents the use of the good by another. Purchasing the item secures the right to consume it.

A private good is the opposite of a public good. Public goods are generally open for all to use and consumption by one party does not deter another party's ability to use it. It is also not excludable; preventing the use of the good by another is not possible. Many public goods can be consumed at no cost.

Water fountains in public places would qualify as public goods, since they can be used by anyone and there is no reasonable possibility of it becoming fully used up. Public television received over the air and standard AM or FM local radio also qualify, as any number of people can watch of listen to the broadcast without affecting other people's ability to do so.