- Probably Stolen puts you in charge of an underground scrap shop serving the lower levels.
- Inspect everything: cigarettes, water, and medicine must be checked before selling.
- Hidden compartments keep illegal goods out of sight during security inspections.
- Invest in equipment: hydroponic farms and chemistry sets turn scrap into profit.
- Every customer lies: decide when to report familiar faces on wanted posters.
Probably Stolen: What the Shop Life Is About
Probably Stolen drops you into the lower levels of a stratified city, where you dig through scrap, buy it, and sell it back to the very people who lost it. Your shop is not a charity — it is a business, rent is always due, and morality is a luxury item nobody down here can afford. You will serve security forces and revolutionaries alike, selling whatever the upper levels are too proud to buy in daylight.
Video Highlights:
- Scrap trading forms the core income loop of the shop
- Merchandise quality checks: inspect cigarettes, filter water, verify medicine
- Hidden compartments protect illegal goods during security raids
- Equipment like hydroponic farms and chemistry sets multiply profits
- Wanted faces walk through your door — reporting them is your choice
The shopkeeper's mantra is simple: everyone needs something, and everyone lies about why. Build your routine around verifying merchandise first and trusting customers second.
Customer Types and How to Handle Them
Customers are the heartbeat of your business, and each type demands a different approach. Some pay fairly, some try to cheat you, and some are walking bounties.
| Customer Type | Behavior | Recommended Response | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nervous customer | Fidgety, evasive about purpose | Inspect their goods and payment carefully | Medium |
| Familiar face (wanted poster) | Recognizable from posters | Report to security or serve quietly | High |
| Security personnel | Buys weapons openly | Keep transactions fully legitimate | Low |
| Revolutionaries | Need supplies, pay in secret | Use hidden compartments for deliveries | High |
| Regular scrap buyers | Honest, repeat business | Build loyalty with fair prices | Low |
Sometimes security takes reported customers away — and sometimes word gets around. Decide whether a bounty is worth the reputation cost with the communities that keep your shelves moving.
Equipment Investment Priorities
Machines turn raw scrap into valuable goods, and the right equipment order can make or break your early economy.
Hydroponic Farm
- Grows high-demand produce
- Steady, passive income stream
- Low heat from security
Chemistry Set
- Turns ingredients into profitable products
- High margins on medicine
- Requires careful quality control
Hidden Compartments
- Keeps illegal stock off the shelves
- Essential for surviving inspections
- Scales with your contraband volume
| Equipment | Startup Cost Tier | Profit Potential | Inspection Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroponic farm | Medium | ★★★★ | Very low |
| Chemistry set | Medium | ★★★★★ | Medium |
| Hidden compartment | Low | N/A (protection) | None |
| Water filtration rig | Low | ★★★ | None |
| Basic workbench | Low | ★★ | None |
Balance profit machines against protection. A chemistry set printing money means nothing if one security inspection empties your shelves and your savings.
Surviving Security Inspections: Step-by-Step
Security likes to run inspections, and when they walk through your door, everything must look perfectly legitimate. Follow this routine every time.
Spot the Warning Signs
Watch for security approaching or unusual customer chatter. Early warning gives you time to move stock.
Stash Contraband
Move all off-the-shelf goods into hidden compartments immediately. Double-check that nothing illegal is visible from the entrance.
Stage the Legit Floor
Display only inspected, filtered, and legal merchandise. Cigarettes inspected, water filtered, medicine properly labeled.
Keep Records Clean
Make sure your sales logs match what is on display. Discrepancies invite deeper searches.
Stay Calm and Cooperative
A cooperative shopkeeper finishes inspections fast. A defensive one invites a full teardown.
Treat every day like an inspection could happen. Shops that stash contraband preemptively never lose stock to a surprise raid.
Daily Shop Routine and Milestones
| Task | Frequency | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect incoming merchandise | Every delivery | ★★★★★ | Cigarettes inspected, water filtered |
| Check wanted posters | Daily | ★★★★ | Spot familiar faces before they shop |
| Restock hidden compartments | As needed | ★★★★ | Keep protection ahead of contraband |
| Pay rent | Every cycle | ★★★★★ | Rent is always due — never miss it |
| Review supplier prices | Weekly | ★★★ | Suppliers inflate prices; renegotiate |
First Month Goals:
- Establish a reliable scrap supply chain
- Install first hidden compartment
- Get a hydroponic farm running
- Build trust with both security and revolutionaries
- Survive a security inspection with zero losses
Selling weapons to security and supplies to revolutionaries is viable — as long as neither side sees the other's receipts. Compartmentalize your clientele like you compartmentalize your stock.
FAQ
Q: What is Probably Stolen about?
Probably Stolen is a shop management game set in the lower levels of a stratified city. You buy and sell scrap, verify merchandise, serve shady customers, and run illegal goods through hidden compartments while keeping up with rent.
Q: Do I have to report wanted customers?
No. Reporting a nervous customer whose face is on a wanted poster is a choice. Security may take them away, but serving them quietly can build valuable underworld connections instead.
Q: How do I survive security inspections?
Stash all illegal goods in hidden compartments before security enters, keep only inspected and legitimate merchandise on display, and make sure your records match your shelves. A clean-looking shop ends inspections quickly.
Q: Which equipment should I buy first?
Prioritize a hidden compartment for protection, then a hydroponic farm for steady income, and finally a chemistry set for high-margin goods once your inspection routine is solid.