How appraisal works in Probably Stolen: cybernetic hands, plasma cartridges, Ribwich, Immunivax and cigarette checks, with values and common fakes.
Probably Stolen Appraisal Guide: Slips and Values
Appraisal is the skill that separates a shopkeeper from a cashier. The game gives you a magnifier, a set of station guides, and a stream of items whose value depends on materials, condition, authenticity, and demand. Get it right and you buy profitably. Get it wrong and you overpay for a fake.
This guide covers the appraisal workflow and the published value tables for the main item families. Values come from the in-game Station Trade Commission guides and community testing; where sources disagree, the page says so. For the wider item pool, see the items database.
The appraisal workflow
- Identify the base type. A cybernetic hand is not one item; aluminium, carbon composite, and gold-plated versions have different base values.
- Check condition. Wear, damage, cracks, and exposed screws reduce value.
- Check authenticity. Serial numbers, seals, labels, spelling, and packaging can mark an item as fake.
- Apply feature adjustments. Neural interfaces, armour, blades, and other options add fixed amounts.
- Compare with demand. A correct appraisal is not a guarantee of a sale at that price.
The appraisal service can do some of this for you. The Junior Appraiser rank is reported to charge 20 credits plus 15% of the appraised value. Higher ranks appear in community tools but are not fully documented in the build used here.
A gold hand is worth more to a wealthy upper-level customer than to a scavenger. The slip gives you a number; the customer gives you a price.
Cybernetic hands
All hands start at a base of 100 credits. Material adjusts the base, then features and condition adjust the total. The minimum value is 50 credits, even for a badly damaged hand.
| Factor | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Aluminium alloy | +0 |
| Carbon composite | +50 |
| Gold plated | +200 |
| Neural interface | +120 |
| EMG+ | +45 |
| EMG (standard) | 0 |
| Unspecified interface | −60 |
| Wear | −35 |
| Damage | −85 |
| Armored | +50 |
| Blade | +80 |
The guide also lists named configurations. Tactical adds 100 credits when the hand is carbon composite, EMG+, neural, unworn, armored, and bladed. Deluxe adds 200 credits when it is gold-plated, neural, and unworn. These are package bonuses, not separate features; do not add them twice.
A gold hand with neural, no wear, and no damage appraises at 100 + 200 + 120 = 420 credits. Add the Deluxe bonus and it reaches 620. A damaged aluminium hand with an unspecified interface can fall to the 50-credit floor.
Plasma cartridges
Plasma cartridges start at 300 credits and have a 90-credit floor. Condition and seal grade dominate the price.
| Factor | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Light wear | −45 |
| Heavy wear | −90 |
| Cracked | −150 |
| Exposed screws | −30 |
| Reinforced | +60 |
| Low grade | −150 |
| High grade | +150 |
| WLD seal, standard/low | +60 |
| RNR seal, standard/no crack | +120 |
| ZHS seal, standard/no crack/no exposed screws | +120 |
| IGN seal, high/no crack/no exposed screws/not reinforced | +750 |
The IGN seal is the jackpot. It requires a high-grade cartridge with no crack, no exposed screws, and no reinforcement. If any of those conditions fail, the +750 does not apply.
Two community tools disagree about whether ZHS and IGN are affected by casing wear. This page takes the conservative reading: do not add a wear penalty to the seal bonus unless the guide you are using explicitly says so. When in doubt, value the cartridge lower and leave room for negotiation.
Ribwich
Ribwich is a food item with a surprisingly deep authenticity check. The base value is 150 credits; a confirmed fake is worth 40.
| Factor | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| First run | +80 |
| Year 425 or 438, month 1 or 12 | +50 |
| Facility 1, 2, 5, 8, 21, or 34 | +50 |
| Facility 7, 15, 18, 26, or 31 | −50 |
| Sesame bun and extra pickles | +300 |
| Double patty | +800 |
A Ribwich is fake if the packaging is damaged, the logo is wrong, the year is outside 425–429 or 432–438, the facility number is above 35, the sticker is wrong, or the sesame and pickle markers disagree with the label. The +300 and +800 bonuses are for genuine items with those features, not for mismatched packaging.
The floor for a genuine but poor-condition Ribwich is 40 credits, the same as a fake. That makes Ribwich a bad speculative buy unless you can inspect it.
Immunivax
Immunivax is a pharmaceutical with a seven-digit serial number. The first three digits are the batch. Recalled batches include 250, 251, 301, 355, 385, 386, and 421. A recalled batch is not a safe sale even if the packaging looks perfect.
Check the name spelling, the maker name, the body for cracks, and the indicator light. If you find a problem, the seller may accept a 15% lower offer rather than lose the sale. That is a negotiation lever, not a guaranteed discount.
Hemingway cigarettes
The Hemingway cigarette guide is a visual authenticity check. Genuine packs use the correct spelling and font, the correct ornamental logo, the correct colour bars, and an intact security seal. Counterfeits show spelling errors, misaligned print, wrong logo details, wrong colours, or a missing/broken seal.
The in-game guide says the differences should be obvious at a glance. In practice, check the lettering first, then the logo, then the seal. A pack with a perfect box and a broken seal is still a counterfeit.
Common appraisal mistakes
| Mistake | Why it costs money |
|---|---|
| Adding material and package bonuses twice | Overpays by 100–200 credits |
| Ignoring the floor | Talks you into a fake at a “discount” |
| Trusting the label | Counterfeits are designed to look labelled |
| Valuing at the maximum | Leaves no margin for negotiation |
| Forgetting demand | A correct value with no buyer is dead stock |
FAQ
What is the minimum value of a cybernetic hand? 50 credits, regardless of condition.
Is the IGN seal always +750? Only on a high-grade cartridge with no crack, no exposed screws, and no reinforcement.
How do I spot a fake Ribwich? Check the year, facility number, logo, sticker, packaging, and whether the sesame/pickle markers match the label.
Does appraisal skill increase value? Appraisal affects your estimate and commission, not the item's intrinsic value. The buyer still decides what to pay.
Community source: in-game Station Trade Commission guides, community appraisal tables, and the Steam Community guide hub ↗. Store reference: Probably Stolen on Steam ↗. Workshop examples: Steam Workshop ↗.
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