Dealing with scrap merchants - did I do it wrong?

I used to pinch the odd bulb or fuse but I kinda figured out that theft is still theft so stopped doing it, besides our local is good enough to let you take bulbs and fuses e.t.c for free, aslong as your honest about it.

I remember years ago me and a few mates tried to nick a mk3 escort brake drum and a few bits from a scrappy in Brum, Halls of Tyseley, anyone remember that place?? The guy caught us red handed, took the stuff back, made us turn out our pockets and forced us to hand over all our money! "you steal from me, ill steal from you" Fair enough I guess.... Better than a punch in the gob.

The gaffer at Halls was a mean git. If you tried to knock him down on a price hed throw you out, id heard hed battered a few people that had messed with him in the past. Proper old skool scrapyard boss.