Want to get your hands on some Heady Topper? Pliny the Elder? The latest Hill Farmstead creation?

If you don’t live in New England or on the West Coast, chances are these White Whales of the craft beer world are out of your reach … but not out of the reach of others. That’s where beer trading comes in.

The craft beer community is vast and if you’re dead-set on finding some out-of-state beer you’ve never had, it’s easier than ever thanks to active trading communities across sites like Reddit, RateBeer and of course there’s a CraftBeerTrades.com. Hell, there’s even a language created just for beer trading.

But what are the tricks of the trade, exactly? With some help from fellow craft beer enthusiasts and avid beer traders, I’ve compiled a collection of tips and etiquette that can help you land the Beer of Your…