Probably Stolen Beginner Guide: Appraisal and Shop Basics

What should you check before accepting an offer?

Check the item rather than relying on its label or the seller’s description. The Demo’s Mentor note on visual inspection says a magnifying glass opens the inspection tray for inspectable items. If you find a defect, select its reason in the tray before confronting the customer.

One identified problem is enough to challenge a counterfeit. A wrong accusation can cost reputation and the customer’s business. A low asking price alone does not establish authenticity: inspect the relevant detail instead of treating a discount as proof of a bargain.

The item reference gives extracted base values. Actual contents, condition and trade modifiers can change an offer, so do not calculate guaranteed profit by subtracting a seller’s price from that table.

How should you decide what you can afford?

Our planning suggestion is to reserve your next payment before committing money to stock. Use the amount and timing shown in your own run; this guide does not assume a universal starting budget. Then judge a purchase by its likely buyer, storage needs and the consequences if it cannot be sold.

The official game description explains the underlying risk: rent rises, and falling behind reduces shop attractiveness and customer traffic. The same description warns that unsold or confiscated inventory can leave you short. Reserving cash is an editorial recommendation based on that risk, not a developer-prescribed build order.

How do you make inventory handling easier?

The September Demo update added selection boxes for moving multiple items and a right-click inventory sorting menu. These controls reduce repeated dragging. You can also preview containers and machines before buying them, which helps you check a purchase before committing cash. See the official Update 049 notes.

Before a trade	What to check
Buying a container or machine	Open its preview and inspect what you are purchasing
Moving several items	Drag a selection box, then move the group
Clearing a crowded inventory	Open the right-click sorting menu
Choosing equipment	Account for the tool, its consumables and the space it needs

Which systems need separate checks?

Water labels, stolen goods and contraband each require different decisions. Test water rather than trusting its label; see the water purification guide. A stolen item’s Heat and the consequences of holding contraband are covered in crime and hiding. A normal-looking item can still need inspection.

Choose an opening that matches what you want to learn, using the starting-scenario comparison. This guide does not rank trades by earnings or promise that one opening is easiest in every run.

Which version and sources does this guide use?

The inspection instructions come from the official in-game Mentor text in Demo 049-Rev5-L, key intel_mentor_note_visual_inspection_body. Inventory controls come from the September 14 Update 049 announcement. We have not played through a first-week route to validate a fixed shopping list or profit target.

For the difference between current Demo content and earlier footage, read Demo versus Playtest.