So I've been looking at the tumblr lifting community's posts for awhile now and I'm obsessed and amazed; I've never lifted before but I really want to it looks so fun and I want free cute shit, but I'm so so scared!! How do I get over that and what/where would you recommend lifting for my very first time ever? Any tips or advice? I worship y'all 🙏🏼
oooookay lil nugget here we go.
first off - its okay to be scared. its actually better if you keep a little piece of you thats always scared, no matter if you’re experienced or a beginner. thats something that helps you keep track of what’s going on around you and helps you not get caught. when you get cocky or over confident, thats when trouble starts.
i cannot stress how important it is to start small. start small.start sosososososo small.smol
like a lipgloss from walmart or one plain shirt from old navy. maybe a lil pack of beads from hobby lobby. whatever you do, do it small.
this lowers the chance of you getting caught, and the chance of you freaking out more.
do this a couple times. lil thing here, lil thing there. this builds confidence. the more confident you are with yourself, the more likely you are to start pulling in bigger hauls.
be patient. dont rush anything. this is by no means a competition. this whole process of confidence-gaining takes weeks, maybe months for some people.
and another thing - the majority of us on here that are pulling in a shit ton of stuff? we’ve been doing this for years. ive been lifting for 3/almost 4 years now. do not feel like you have to hurry and catch up to us.
secondly -do your homework. read through people’s tip pages on here. read about hooks, magnets, detachers, keys, all the different types of security tags, concealment methods, horror stories - ANYTHING. everything will be helpful down the road. read up on how other people got caught so you dont make the same mistakes. read up on how that girl managed to bag 3 naked palettes and 15 Kat Von D liquid lipsticks. learn about cam placement and how JCP Sephora is a place to stay away from. learn SA behavior and how to tell if they are being nice or plain sus. Learn how to tell if a bag is going to be a good lifting partner or if its going to be a hassle getting things inside. get familiar with every aspect of this community. follow as many people as you can. get inspiration from everyone. learn this life. live it. breathe it.
thirdly - try and pair up with an experienced buddy. i have found this to be so helpful. you get to see first hand how they do what they do. you get to see them in action, and learn their methods. however, know that going out with more than 2 other people is sure to get you noticed and tailed. keep the lil lifting group to either a pair or 3 people. make sure you can trust them. make sure you know them.
STORES: Old Navy: they dont tag anything other than heavy coats and sweaters, some dresses, jeans, and in the summer some shorts. i re-vamped my whole wardrobe this summer courtesy of ON, but ive seen on here that they’ve started source tagging…. which makes me sad. so double check before you out anything into your bag. Hobby Lobby: there are like 7 cams per store all focused on the cashiers. go crazy. get your much needed art supplies. this is a great store for beginners - and other lifters who love crafting. Cotton On: nothing, and i mean NOTHING is tagged. idk why, but these hoes never tag anything and it makes me wonder what they’re even doing. i got christmas gifts for my brothers here this year, so i highly recommend this store. super easy. Dillard’s: do not let the large size of the store intimidate you - this place is heaven. sometimes you’ll get lucky and somethings been left off the rack and untagged. sometimes theres that teally cute wallet that you’ve wanted for a while and it doesnt have a single tag on it. go for it. conceal in the dressing rooms. trust me. formal dresses? no tags. (from what ive seen, and ive been to 3 Dillard’s in 2 different cities.) their desinger jewelrythat they keep down there? go for it. none of its source tagged or anything. i walked out once with 5 pairs of mate spade earrings and 2 wallets worth the 100 each. just pay attention to your surroundings and you’ll do just fine.
TIPS: - in the winter its cold as dicks, so wear sweaters. utilize these babies for all they’re worth. 1. sleeves are great for concealing small items like jewelry and lipsticks. 2. “i am so hot from all this shopping, is it okay if i have one of your bags to carry my sweater in? i would really appreciate it” (note: this only works with really nice SAs. some will be bitches and shut you down. you might have to try a couple of stores before you get one. and now you have a free shopping bag!) 3. put your purse in the crook of your elbow and drape your sweater over it. this helps conceal how big your purse is to begin with and hide how much its increased in size when you’re walking out. 4. idk they’re warm and fuzzy. they make me happy. - boots: stick things in there in case you forgot your purse or something. you can stick small things like jewelry and face masks down in there, its great.- go through your mom’s closet. or your aunt’s. grandmother’s. rich best friend, i dont care. more often than not, they have a couple of extra shopping bags from stores they’ve been too. my mom has Bath and Body Works for days, along with a couple of Coach bags and Ralph Lauren. these shopper bags can be used in the same way as a purse for hiding things in them. hide them in yoir bag on the way into a mall, and then in the bathroom, take out your lifted clothing and stuff one of the bags. that way, when you walk into other stores, the SAs think you’ve bought things from other stores. be careful and know the layout of the mall you’re in though, because if you’re carrying around an Urban Outfitters bag and theres no UO, then you’ve gone and fucked yourself. - be cautious, be wary, and not get greedy. get in, get out, and live to lift another day.
hope you’ll find some use for all this nonsense, good luck on starting your hobby of lifting and i hope to see some beautiful hauls from you guys!
ALRIGHTY here’s the post i set out to find for the anon but got carried away. do with it as you will.
Seriously this is beyond helpful. I’ve been to worried to really ask questions because some people on here can be rude and shut down newbies. I appreciate all the great tips and the fact that you were so sweet about all of it @this-probably-aint-legal!
