I take many of the testers from Sephora.

After gathering the items I want, I ask for the help of an employee to make me a sample of something else and follow her to the “try on” area. While talking with her after she gives me the samples, I nonchalantly place the testers in my purse along with the bags they put the samples in. I feel like this move deters security from watching me since I am talking directly with an employee. Be nice, and then get out.

Thought this was for actual art, not supplies, and grew excited.

The thing is, most decent art supply stores know their clientele has a lot of poor artists, so they really crack down on their security. On the flipside, many employees are also fellow broke artists, and don’t really care.

Not sure where you live, but Michaels has some pretty great stock. I wouldn’t go crazy in one day, but over time, all those brushes and paint and materials can add up.

I found a local michaels that didn’t monitor their paper aisle. Yet they also put their pricy adhesive paper in that section, and I made off with hundreds of dollars worth of it, a couple different times.

You can buy some low priced items such as produce, and stealth away the higher priced goods into a personal bag while shopping.

It creates less suspicion than just walking straight out if you clearly have stayed in the store for a while.