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how can a noob theif make money?

break inot peoples house and try to find armor don't go for pot and clothes
also try to find some of the good wine thats gets an ok price

1. You are a thief so steal. You won't get to much though. The most expensive stuff is Armor.
2. Clear out caves, mines, forts, ruins, ect. That is where you will get the higher priced stuff, like Armor.
3. Join the mages guild and enchant the armor before you sell it. Easy to get 2-3 times more.
4. Pick and sell ingredients. Not much money though.
5. Use the ingredients to make potions, to make a little more money.
6. Even if you buy the ingredients, you can make potions, and sell for a profit.

Alchemy has always been a great way to make money. Just find a shop with lots of cheap ingredients and little money (less than 600 gold) and they will give you a decent deal if you buy ingredients, make potions and sell them back. Just wait a few days and rinse/repeat. Not only do you get lots of cash, but your alchemy/mercantile levels! Just make sure you don't do this too much because you'll end up fighting enemies and only be able to hurt them with your poisons

*edit* even a place like the feed bag in Imperial City will do, things like restore fatigue sell for just as much as any other potion you make.

Another way that actually is really good is to clear out caves/dungeons. Pick every scroll/potion you can get and drop anything that is worth less than 10 times it's own weight in septims.

Unless you have Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul, I wouldn't reccomend theiving from Count/Countess' chambers until you're level 30+, because the loot inside their chests/drawers is leveled. So if you're level 1 and manage to break into the count's bedside jewelry box, you'll probobally find a couple copper rings. If you DO have OOO installed, then those are the first places you want to go.

Edit* another way is to join the fighers guild. A fleshing young adventurer can make a fair bit of coin fulfilling contracts for them.... if you got the stones to do it!

Get in the Order of the Virtuous blood faction you get 250 for every vampire you kill

You can also do the Knights of the White Stallion Questline: 2 part quest

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Mazog ... 28quest%29

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Knigh ... 28quest%29

You get 100 gp for every black bow you bring in. You can raid every three days.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Telepe

Telepe respawns every 72 hours/3 days.

Here's another way. I haven't tried it yet but figure it could help a fledging theif out, so long as you're fingers are nimble enough!

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Brindle_Home

what doez a noob count as? im only a level 12, and i could level up heaps, but i dont want to. apparently, if i level up heaps, but dont do the main quests, the enemies become really hard, and the game becomes impossible. so i just level up skills, but not my self. therefor, as a level 12, i have 100 sneak (no cheats) and 20,000 buks
(although i never spen any)

I'm still quite the noob, but here's what's been working for me recently:

1. "The Collector" quest. Those Ayleid statues are worth 500 gp each, plus 5000 gp for retrieving the 10th one. 10,000 gp total possible!

2. Ayleid Ruins - they're fun, have interesting traps, and sometimes contain one or more Varla Stones. As I understand it, Varla Stones are limited and don't respawn, and are very valuable for Mage-type characters. They also fetch 400-500 gp each at the right merchants. Use them or sell them-- that's the tough call. As a thief/stealth character, I'm more interested in the cash, and there's always Welkynd Stones and Soul Gems for recharging enchanted stuff.

Just last night I retrieved two Ayleid statues and four Varla Stones for ~2,900 gp, in addition some common low-level loot. Not bad for a couple hours' exploring.

Anyway, that's my approach.