Something you should know about me is that I never pay full retail if I can avoid it. Blame my Jewish mother or my years spent getting kickbacks in the Lucky magazine fashion closet. I like the thrill of the hunt, but I love the thrill of paying less.

Discovering that I could buy gently used designer kids’ clothing directly from people who I follow on Instagram at a fraction of the original price made me so joyful. My gateway purchase was a pair of Duchess and Lion mustard and ivory Ikat harem pants bought from @latonyayvette for $15. Then came a pair of black and white checked stovepipe pants with zipper details for $5 I claimed in a moving out of the country sale conducted over the social media platform. After that it was the neon cheetah print roll-cuff harem shorts I bought from @gavins_goodies (pictured above) for $13, followed closely behind by the Bobo Choses terrycloth evil eye leggings I bought for $17 from @shopityshop (@lindsaymeyerharley‘s resale account) for the baby boy I’ll be delivering unto this world in August.

If you are also turned on by hoarding unique and original clothing purchased from people on the internet who you’ve never met, here are some tips to get you started.

Follow your favorite kids style bloggers on Instagram

Chances are, they’re selling something. If not, you’ll still learn about new brands and unique labels that aren’t mainstream.

Know your hashtags

To search for users’ online shops, use hashtags like #Instashop, #ShopMyCloset, and #InstaSale. Include brand names like #BoboChoses, #NuNuNu, #MiniRodini, #AceAndJig, #NicoNico and #Zara, for example.

Learn the lingo

“EUC” means Excellent Used Condition, “VGUC” means Very Good Used Condition, “GUC” means Good Used Condition, “Play Condition” means the item has gotten a lot of wear, “BNWOT” is Brand New Without Tags, and the word “Shipped” after a price means that shipping is included.

Read the shop’s purchase policy

But know that the accepted practice is claiming an item, first-come-first-serve style, by leaving your email address in the comments. That’s how the seller will send you a PayPal invoice.

Don’t be shy about being a “back-up buyer”

If an item you love has already been claimed, simply leave your email address with the word “back-up” in the comments because people will often change their minds or forget to pay an invoice in the allotted time period.

Now, go forth, find deals, and share them on Instagram with the hashtag #12thandA for a chance to show off your score in our feed.