Probably Stolen Beginner Guide: Your First Week

Start with a business you want to learn

Probably Stolen offers starting scenarios including gunsmith, chemist, water merchant, fence, farmer and rock bottom. You also select perks before opening the run. Choose those together: the beginner reference notes that different professions benefit from different perks, rather than identifying one combination as best for everyone. Official starting choices · Perk guidance

Treat the following as a repeatable opening checklist, not a fixed timetable. It is intended to help you make each decision with the next expense and available space in mind.

Work through your opening checklist

1. Choose the starting business and perks you want to use.
2. Put a relevant item in the display case to indicate what you sell or want to buy.
3. Inspect offered goods before accepting a supplier's valuation.
4. Check the bargain panel before negotiating, including the reputation effect for that trade direction.
5. Keep resources available for the next rent payment before committing to another purchase.

The display case communicates your business interests, while suppliers can overstate an item's value. A bad assessment leaves you carrying the cost, so a low-looking offer is not a substitute for inspection. Display and inspection guidance · Official trading risks

Negotiate with the direction of the trade in mind

Choose the price direction deliberately: when selling, ask the buyer to pay more if you want a better cash return; when buying, offer the seller less. A customer-favoring deal goes the other way: pay more for their goods or charge them less for yours. IGN describes this as a way to benefit faction standing, and a recorded run demonstrates offering a discount to improve reputation. Read the displayed reputation effect before committing. Negotiation choices · Discount-for-reputation example, 37:57

Bargaining can improve a transaction's price, but it also affects reputation. The documented bargain panel separates buying and selling reputation multipliers, so read the direction relevant to the current deal. Do not assume a bargaining choice has the same effect on both sides of your business. Beginner bargaining advice · Update 049 bargain changes

Rent continues rising during a run. Before buying stock or equipment, compare the offer with what you need to retain for the next payment; no universal reserve fits every run. For the longer-term objective, see buying the shop. Official rent warning · Expense planning

Prepare before leaving after closing

Jackson is not an unrestricted first-night destination in every run. During the standard introduction, his day-6 visit provides the after-hours invitation; no-introduction starts can provide earlier access. Check the Jackson access conditions before planning an equipment trip. Standard introduction · Access reference

After closing, you can leave with a backpack and choose destinations including the Dumping Grounds, Commissary and Dr. Jackson. The travel sequence appears in two separate recordings. Decide what you want from the trip before choosing a destination. Rock Bottom travel, 5:54–6:08 · Challenge-run travel, 9:37–9:43

For scavenging, carry a bandage in your bag. Scavenging can cause injury, and being wounded can stop further scavenging. A trip is therefore not a guaranteed source of uninterrupted collection. GameSpew preparation advice · Recorded injury warning, 6:31

Common opening questions

What should I do when the main inventory fills?

Storage bays and bags can hold additional items when the main inventory becomes crowded. Check that existing space before making another storage purchase. For selection, rotation and transfers, use the inventory-controls guide. Storage advice

Is appraisal another item-buying transaction?

No. Joining the Appraiser Board provides a junior certificate, magnifying glass and cybernetic-hand guide; appraisal work involves inspecting a customer's item and submitting an estimate rather than purchasing it. Follow the appraisal guide for that separate routine. Appraisal reference · Joining footage, 25:29–26:10

How do I move on from the current customer?

Hotfix 1.0.0.5 added the rebindable counter-bell action, B by default. Holding that action dismisses the current customer. Check your binding if B does not match your setup. Official bell change

Scope

This is a flexible opening routine, not a guaranteed first-week earnings route. Exact reserves, perk combinations and encounter timing are not prescribed; the cited guides and recordings cover different starting contexts. Sources checked November 2, 2026.