How much would a live cockatrice sell for at auction?

[MonkeySage]

Each dose of cockatrice spit costs 1000 gp, normally. If a group of thieves managed to steal a live cockatrice on its way to, say, the court alchemist... How much could they actually sell it for?

Cockatrice Spit is a contact and injury poison that causes dexterity damage and possibly petrification...

[zlefin]

I just want to note as a practical matter that what the thieves can sell it for is rather different from it would get an open legal auction.
fencing stolen goods isn't easy; the fence takes a pretty big cut. also, for some rare things it's hard to find a buyer, which means the fence has to through even more work hunting for a buyer, or holding onto something while waiting for it. and some things it'd be suspicious if it shows up just after one was stolen, which means the buyers have to keep it under wraps.
I'd expect the thieves get 1/4 to 1/10 the market price of the cockatrice (whatever that is)


to try to answer your actual question; I'd guess 20k for the market price, but that's a pure guess. poisons are notoriously overpriced; and some of that price probably goes to handling expenses plus poisons often being illegal (and thus extra pricey).

[unseenmage]

Lords of Madness has slavery prices which can be applied to just about any creature.

[MonkeySage]

So, probably 3k would be a good enough starting bid.

[Jay R]

It depends on who shows up at the auction. The puint of an auction is to find out how much these people will spend for the item.

It sells for 5gp more than the bid of the second most interested bidder.

[awa]

It depends on who shows up at the auction. The puint of an auction is to find out how much these people will spend for the item.

It sells for 5gp more than the bid of the second most interested bidder.

definitely this
Just because some thing might be "worth" a given value does not mean you can find anyone willing or able to pay that much for it. Honestly poisons in 3rd edition tend to be massively overpriced, to the point that i have never seen anyone actually buy any. A glance at the srd say its only DC12 and does d2 dex dam i would not pay for that at 1000 gp a pop

Things to consider the spit might be worth a 1000 gp but how much prep goes into turning the raw ingredient into something usable? How hard is it to care for a cockatrice?

Someone might try and sell me a tiger worth 10,000 dollars for only 5$ but i have no where to keep a tiger. Feeding a tiger and care for that tiger will rapidly inflate that initial cost.

[Psyren]

Each dose of cockatrice spit costs 1000 gp, normally. If a group of thieves managed to steal a live cockatrice on its way to, say, the court alchemist... How much could they actually sell it for?

Cockatrice Spit is a contact and injury poison that causes dexterity damage and possibly petrification...

Source for it?

I'm guessing that collecting/refining it isn't as simple as getting a cockatrice and a spittoon.