Here in NYC, we’re in the thick of sample sale season. While a few big ones like Alex Wang and Thakoon have passed, there are still some good ones coming up. J.Crew’s still going on; Derek Lam and Rag & Bone are tomorrow; and DVF and Manolo Blahnik are around the corner.

Sample sales are great, but they can be tricky. Chances are you’re not going to just waltz in whenever you feel like it and immediately find the exact item you’ve been coveting since it hit the runway. They require time, strategy, hard work, and a little luck.

We’ve been shopping sample sales for years and still sometimes come up empty-handed and feeling like we’re not doing it right. So, we asked some sample sale experts–as in people whose job it is to go to sample sales and report on them–to share their wisdom and their secrets. We learned a lot of tips that we’re going to be employing very soon.

So without further ado, click through for our definitive guide to shopping sample sales.