Props
A prop is something you find in field to use, or something you bring with you. Let's say everyone around you is about to cheers something, if you're empty-handed, you can grab a half-drunken glass as if it's yours, and join in the cheers; you make the drink your prop to enter the set. If a girl has some article on that you want to neg or tease about, it can be your prop.
Things you bring into field include your phone and jewelry. You can 'lock in' your target by putting your prop onto her so she doesn't wander away. She may wander off with it, so avoid using any expensive irreplaceable props.
Cell phones. A fantastic prop that can be useful in many situations: Takes photos, stores numbers, displays photos for the purposes of preselection, protector of loved ones, adventurousness. However, resist the temptation to take your phone out to fiddle with when you should be getting into set; it is not an DHV to have a phone out as if you're receiving a message, it just looks lame when everyone else at a venue is socializing and you're standing alone with your phone out.
Lost cell phone Approach
You spot a couple HBs sitting at a table, AMOGs all around them. Walk up, looking around the area as if searching for something, and then ask if they'd seen your cell phone, since you've just lost it. They'll help you look around, won't find it, and then you 'realize' you hadn't brought it into the club with you. By then, they are hooked and it didn't look like you were sarging them. Stack to some fluff about cell phones, then into your usual material.
21st Century Photo Routine
Here is an update of Mystery's photo routine (he has since started using his iPhone for the same routine). Go get your cell phone and start taking some good pics: have some adorable kid or puppy pics, a few pics of female friends and you laughing it up, and some pics of you doing sporty or
adventurous stuff. Scroll through them with your target, casually passing by the pics that hit triggers, and wind up on the one you want to show her (a cute dog you saw today). When she sees a picture of a girl she will often ask 'Is that your girlfriend?' You can respond, 'This is a good friend' and then tell a DHV story about her. Always blow it off as if no big deal, which will play into the jealousy plotline and create intrigue. When she shows you pics on her phone, go ahead and type your phone number in, and ask her to do the same in your phone. You've just number closed, run some jealousy plot and shown preselection, in a matter of a minute.
IODing with TM
If a girl starts texting while you’re talking to her, say ‘oh, that reminds me, I need to text my friend. It was her birthday today.’ Start texting while you continue convo, looking away and leaning away. This will keep her engaged but ping the IOD she’s giving you. If you just talk to her while she texts you are showing too much interest and it's a DLV. Likewise if you enter a set that you suspect might blow you out, try a similar approach. If she shows IOIs, close your phone and engage. You can talk (or pretend to talk) on your phone as you take a seat next to a set, and it doesn't look as deliberate.
The Dog Contest
You and your wing have pics of a dog on your phones, and run a competition to see which one is cuter. This never fails to open many sets if the dogs are particularly adorable. You can then ask her if she knows what kinds of dog are safe with children because you might get another dog and there're always kids around in your life (hitting provider of loved ones switch).
Take My Picture, Blondie
A commonly used opener is ‘I am thinking of dying my hair blond.’ If said to a blonde, you can ask her to put her hair over your head for a photo that your wing will take with his camera phone. This allows for kino as you can smile, cheek to cheek, your arm around her shoulder, her hair over your head. When your wing shows you the pic and says ‘Ahhh, you two look so cute together’ you neg with ‘well, at least I look cute’ or ‘Adorable, aren’t I?’
This neg can be used without the blonde routine; instead, you can have her
plant a kiss on your cheek. Another way to end is with the neg: “Ewww...ok, whatever. I hope you like this one, cause it's gonna be all over the internet by tomorrow!”
Three Pics
Pics can be taken in a series of three, each of escalating kino, ending with her kissing your cheek (or a real kiss if you’ve established enough mutual attraction). So for example: 1, cheek to cheek, 2, her kiss to your cheek, 3, mouth to mouth. Before the last pic, your wing can yell out the line ‘Hey, do something crazy for the camera!’ or 'Hey, you 2 should make out!'
Tell Tarantino he can shove it!
You can walk around pretending to talk on your phone anywhere you may find yourself, to give the illusion of social proof. Particularly helpful as a girl walks up to meet you on a date. Or if you're in a crowd you can walk by a set and yell, “No, we're not doing it HIS way. You can tell Tarantino to go shove it!”
Photo Routines, CrazyWilly-style
You might get asked by a girl to take her pic. You can whip out your own camera and take her pic as she's turning her camera on. This will confuse her.
If someone takes a pic of one of their friends and the flash goes off, yell
“Hey, you flashed me!”
Group Photo
Approach a set where one of them is taking a pic of the others, and offer to take their picture. Aim really carefully, then take a stupid picture, like of their knees, or the background with maybe some hair showing. Do it a couple times. Go into a story about how you asked a dude you met on vacation to take your pic, but he grabbed the camera and took off with it.
Embellish what happened to him.
Alternatively, approach the set enthusiastically saying how you'd really like to take their pic so everyone can be in the photo together. Aim carefully...then turn the camera off. Turn it back on, and tease the set
about how complicated the camera is, then take the photo for real. Stack into your usual material.
Hengman's Camera Routine
PUA: (after FTC) I was just wondering if you can take a photo of me/us real quick?
HB: Yeah, sure!
(Smile when she says this. She's going to tell you to get ready to take the picture. When she tells you to smile, don't smile. She'll ask why. Just ignore her and see how the picture came out.)
HB: You like the picture?
(Neg her on her picture-taking teasingly. Remember when I said don't smile? Well, ask her why she took it when you weren't smiling).
How'd you know my number? (Brad P)
If the girls is texting, pull out your phone and walk up to her.
PUA: Hey, how'd you know my number? You just sent me a text. What, do you work for the phone company or something? I'm standing right here.
You could've just told me this. (after some more teasing, show her the screen which reads 'u r so hot!' Have a friend text you this in advance).
Lock-in Props
A lock-in prop allows you to wander away or talk to someone else in the set while you show disinterest during A2. Generally the target will hang around to give you your prop back, and while standing there will overhear your DHVing to the obstacles.
Lock in props can belong to the target. If a target is wearing a scarf or hat, try to borrow it for a bit. This will serve as compliance testing, but also lock her in because you can now wander away and she must find you eventually to get her item back.
Other props:
Bottle Caps
'Men can easily get a bottle cap off their forehead without using their hands. (Demonstrate how to stick a cap on your forehead, then wrinkle
your forehead so it falls off.) But girls don't have this ability. Once I stick this thing on your forehead, you'll NEVER get it off without using your hands.' (Hold the cap to her forehead but then remove it so she doesn't notice. She'll now try to get the cap off her forehead, though it isn't there.
Works especially well in larger sets who will laugh at her).
See the chapter on identity, state and frame for more information on peacocking and locking in.
Purses
Many girls hold very small or very large purses, so opening them by teasing about their purse can be an easy in.
Very large purse: 'That is a poodle purse. That's right. I knew a woman who used to carry around a poodle in a purse just like that. Let me see if you have a poodle in there...you do, don't you. Security! We have a poodle smuggler over here!'
Very tiny purse: 'Hey, we have a winner of the very tiny purse contest. That has got to be the smallest purse I've ever seen.'
Women hold onto a very small article called a clutch, not exactly a purse or a wallet, but something in between. If you spot one, you can use the above tiny purse line.
She may then correct you with: 'This isn't a purse. It's called a clutch.' To which you respond: 'Uh, I know what a crotch is, and that's not a crotch.' 'No, a clutch.'
'Yeah, yeah. I know what a clutch is. My grandma used to have one, and she beat people up with it.'