SOS shopping is the process of going to fight the VP but only staying if you like the card.
There is no requirement to have a suit of any particular level. Some people SOS shop from their very first cold caller suit. The only thing that should never be done under any circumstance is to run away from the VP and leave other toons behind. If you are going to shop, then make sure everyone else is shopping too.
It is not unusual for a group to agree that they will stay for other cards too. If you need a special card then make the request and see if the group agrees. Other SOS cards often stayed for would be Franz Neckvein (drop) and Daffy Don (heal). Cards sometimes but not often stayed for are the toons hit series (desperately needed lure hit) and Sid Sonata (foghorn).
Walking away:
There is no need to run, it is just the best speedchat phrase. You will have plenty of time.
You can even wait to see what cogs come out.
Right click on an empty part of your taskbar and it will bring up a window. Highlight and choose Task Manager.
When Task Manager opens it will have three tabs - applications, Processes, and Performance. It is vitally important that you choose "processes" and NOT "applications". Closing the application can make you go sad. Ending the process is 100% safe. Go ahead and open task manager while you are on the elevator. Find the "toontown.exe" process and be ready to end it if the spotter calls out "run".
When you click on "End Process" a window will pop up warning you about how terminating a process can result in loss of data. In fact that is exactly what we want to happen. We want toontown to terminate without saving any data. That way we will be returned to sellbot HQ without any loss of laffs or gags. So go ahead and click on "yes".
The game "crashes" and you get kicked back to your log-in screen.
After logging in you end up in the sellbot pit with all of your gags and all of your laffs.