Tips I’ve picked up that always work
Never gotten caught with these bad boys
-Cup trick: where you take a not clear cup, like a coffee cup, and while walking around the store drop small items into your (clean and empty!) cup.
-Elastic belt trick: take a piece of elastic from the sewing store (the good kind) and tie/sew it around your waist. Make sure it fits, but is not tight! Then, wear a semi-baggy jacket (It’s that time of year!) and when you conceal, do it on your person by sneaking this to fit snuggly into that elastic band
-The inflatable bag: Take a very large ziplock or two, depends on the bag size, and blow them and stick them in your bag to make it look full. Then, while in a blind spot, as you put things in slowly deflate the bag to make it look proportionally as full as it was when you left.
-The Big Boots: take a large pair of non-sus knee high boots. make sure you can fit like, half your arm in the boot, because its so roomy. you know what I’m taking about. As you “shop”, drop things like jewelry, makeup, small packs of condoms, stickers, buttons, you know the drill. It may get uncomfortable in your shoe, but eh. Worth it, right?
Some (un)common knowledge:
-If you’re gonna lift clothes then for petes sake look at the price tag before you hold it up to your body or take it to the dressing rooms
-Don’t lift nail polish by putting up your sleeve it will fall out and break and BAM you’re caught
-Putting something between your thighs as a way of lifting is really hard because you have to walk out perfectly normal
-If you get shaky hands or get really nervous, pull out your phone and pretend to call/text someone to meet you at the store. This way, when you leave without buying anything, it looks like you went outside to find your friend
-Dont start pulling out your goods in the parking lot. Rookie mistake here. Wait until you get in your car with doors locked and windows rolled up. Even better, wait till you’re at home.
-Scope the store out a couple of days before you lift
-Try to avoid backpacks; instead go for a purse type thing. Easier to slip things in
- Don’t try to avoid LP. Ask at them only one or two times, if you make eye contact with them, just smile and wave. If you think someone is watching you, go up to Lp and ask shit like “do u have wet n’ wild mascara? Is there any pink ribbon here? What foundation tone should i use?” Seem interested while they talk. But don’t get too friendly.
-Be cautious and observant but not paranoid and jumpy
-if you get a bad vibe, leave with what you’ve already concealed. Not getting your hair dye is better then getting a fine.
-Lifting while wearing a skin tight sundress is hard mode.
-Barcodes don’t set off alarms unless theres a RDIF under it so check!!
-If you cant afford a hook or magnet, then use a seam ripper for what you can. If you don’t mind small holes in clothes, that is.