How to Appraise an Item in Probably Stolen — Step by Step
Updated · Game version 1.0
Direct answer
Appraise in a fixed order, every time: condition → seal and certificate → authenticity → provenance, and only then decide whether to pay, counter, or refuse. The order matters because condition eliminates the most items, and authenticity eliminates the most expensive mistakes. Doing these four in the same sequence turns appraisal from a judgement call into a checklist.
Step 1 — Read the item before you price it
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| The item’s condition indicator and any visible damage | The asking price on the label — it is the seller’s number, not the item’s value |
| What category it belongs to (tool, decoration, consumable, contraband) | Whether the category even has buyers in your current run |
Step 2 — Check condition first
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| Surface condition and functionality | Whether the defect is cosmetic or functional — cosmetic barely moves the price, functional moves it hard |
| Whether the item stacks or is unique | A damaged stack is priced per unit, not per stack |
Step 3 — Check the seal and the certificate
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| Whether the seal is unbroken | A broken seal on a resale item costs you twice: once on the buy, again on the sell |
| Where the certificate is stored | A certificate is only worth what it is worth where the game reads it — confirm the storage slot counts before you price the item as certified |
Step 4 — Check authenticity
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| Label alignment and print quality | A relabel usually shows at the edge of the sticker, not the centre |
| Weight and finish against a known genuine item | Cut or reshaped items keep the original label but not the original proportions |
Step 5 — Decide: pay, counter, or refuse
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| Whether your margin survives the repair or re-seal cost | If you cannot resell it, its value is what it does for the shop, not what it sells for |
| Whether you have room to hold it | Holding capital in slow items is a cost, even if the item is good |
Step 6 — Write down what you paid
| Look here | Don’t miss this |
|---|---|
| Buy price, condition, and any repair cost | Without this line, you cannot tell later whether a bad run was a bad deal or a bad appraisal |
One-minute quick check
Steps are ordered by how much they eliminate per minute — if you only have time for two, do condition and authenticity.
When you are not sure
What to read next
- The four-factor model behind this checklist → appraisal overview
- Certificates and seals in detail → certificates and seals
- Counterfeit and relabelled items → counterfeit and relabel
- Full condition tier table → item condition tiers
Written against game version 1.0. The appraisal steps are checked after each patch; if the patch you are playing is newer than the version above, this page may be out of date, and we will re-check it and update the version line.