How Do You Get "In" With Nurseries?

As a newbie gardener, I'm asking this primarily for inside tips, notice of shipments, and more favorable (if any) discounts on plants. Obviously, I know little how a nursery operates and am not seeking a part time job to help me understand this.

It seems to me there IS a secret society of gardeners and nurseries, that, on the surface, the common shopper isn't aware of. I feel it when I walk in to, for the umpteenth time, my favorite nursery and spend yet more money. I feel like there is, or could or should be, an under the table awards club, a secret knock, a wink and a nod to the back room. I spent significant money last year at two nurseries in particular, and enjoy talking to the staff, but what's the sequence of plays? What's the trick? Wouldn't a post from an insider on this topic be interesting?

Feel free to slap me upside the head if I'm completely wrong and naive and just plain stupid about this and you care to educate me old school. I would do this for someone who came to me and said "poetry is just too hard to get, it's got some hidden meaning I will never figure out" or "do I really have to do research for my essay" or "global warming is merely propaganda" or "tighty whities are better than boxer briefs."