10 Best Places To Steal From In Skyrim

The Scorched Hammer

The Scorched Hammer is Riften’s forge in Skyrim. It is right next to the city’s market. Balimund and the boy he took in as his own run it. They’re nice enough, but they’re also open enough during the day that it’s not hard to look around inside.

There are some containers and the shop’s money in a strongbox inside. What makes it different is what’s on the bottom floor. There are a lot of ingots on a table, enough for you to make a lot of things that will help you improve your skills. They keep coming back, so you can always get more if you need to. If you’re feeling really bold, you can even take your new ingots outside and use the smithing tools there.

The Dwemer Museum

There are a lot of guards in this Skyrim area, so it might be harder to steal from here than from other places. But if you know how to sneak, this place is full of useful Dwemer goods.

You can also use a lockpick to get into Calcelmo’s Lab. If you have the Wax Key perk, you can get to the top without having to do the normal quest. His living space is full of potions, ingredients, and gold. There are also more Dwemer things that can be sold at the nearest fence for gold.

The East Empire Company Warehouse

As a member of the Thieves Guild, you might come here as part of the quest “Scoundrel’s Folly” to follow the sneaky Argonian Gulum-Ei. But you don’t have to wait for that to happen. You can either pick the lock or steal the key from Gulum-Ei while he’s drinking in the Winking Skeever.

There are a lot of things to find inside. There were several chests, enough cheese to stop Sheogorath in his tracks, and rare clothes fit for a lord. Near the back of the building, you can also find a table knife that you can use. If you are a member of the Thieves Guild, you can trade an East Empire Shipping Map to Delvin in the Ragged Flagon for a lot of gold.

Mistveil Keep

The Jarl of Riften is more of a public figure than a real leader in the city. Maven Black-Briar is really in charge of things there. That doesn’t have to mean that Jarl Leila Law-Giver doesn’t have a lot of money. It’s a good idea to sneak into Mistveil Keep.

In Anuriel’s bedroom downstairs, there is a case with three expensive bracelets, a ring, and a few gems. In the Jarl’s Quarters, there are several cases with guns and armor up on the second floor. There are also a few coin pouches here and there. You’d think that in a city full of crooks, the Jarl would be more careful with some of the shiny things.

The White Phial

The White Phial can be both a task and the item that the quest is about. In this case, though, it means the apothecary shop in Windhelm. This shop, which is run by the grumpy and sick Nurelion, has a lot of good stuff, even for a potion shop. There are a lot of valuable items and potions all over the place. Just be careful the first time you go in.

Nurelion and his assistant Quintus have a planned scene that could happen at any time of day, so someone could try to sneak in at night and mess it up.

The College Of Winterhold

The College of Winterhold is the best place to learn magic in Skyrim. It is a big place with a lot of things lying around that you can take. Some will be free to take in the Hall of Attainment when you join, while others, like most things in the Arcaneaum, will be locked up tight.

When you go to the Hall of Countenance, you can get a lot of useful alchemy ingredients and whatever you can steal from the teachers.

If you are feeling brave, you can also dive into the Midden, where you might find strange and sometimes scary things.

Thalmor Headquarters, Castle Dour

The Thalmor are a group that no one likes. They are mean, full of themselves, and make everyone else’s lives worse. It’s great to be able to bother them in any way you can, and if you can also make money, that’s even better.

One of the towers in Happy Wheels has a door that leads to the Thalmor headquarters for the Imperial base. There are a lot of expensive things all over the place, like food, potions, and weapons in display cases.

Even better, it doesn’t have any guards because most Thalmor seem to live at the Embassy. You won’t be bothered while you look around, so feel free to take your time.

Bits & Pieces

Bits & Pieces sells a little bit of everything because it is a pawn shop in the rich city of Skyrim. You can get in at night, even though Kayd, the youngest member of the family, is sometimes out and about. There are potions, tools, and a few show cases with weapons inside.

If you’re brave enough to go upstairs, you’ll find the shop’s money and other items in the safe inside Kayd’s room. Be careful getting in and out of the building, because it opens right onto Solitude’s main street and there are a lot of guards around.

Markarth Treasury House

The Markarth Treasury House is a great place to stock up on riches in Skyrim, as the name might suggest. The place is owned by the Silver-Blood family, who are so filthy rich that it’s almost an open invitation to break in.

People are around most of the time, but if your sneak skill is good enough, you won’t notice them. Ingots and a safe are kept in the big gate in the middle. It’s hard to tell, but Thonar Silver-Blood is often the key.

If you help Madenach get out of Cidhna Mine, the Forsworn might give it to you when they’re done with Thonar.

Honningbrew Meadery

The Honningbrew Meadery (or the second Black-Briar Meadery, based on what you do) is a bit outside of Whiterun. Its name tells you what to expect. There is so much mead that it’s hard to keep track. You can also steal an expensive decanter and give it to Delvin Mallory in exchange for gold.

When the Thieves’ Guild quest “Dampened Spirits” is done, that’s when the real fun starts. Sabjorn is kicked out of owning the meadery, and his helper Mallus Maccius takes over. He is also a guild fence, though not a very good one. He will buy back any mead you steal from around the meadery, which is a very easy way to make money.