User blog:Eashley/Hunting Minifigure Codes on YouTube

OK, so after the release of the LEGO Minifigures Series 13 I thought to myself, I love these minifigures, and I am probably going to get them all, but I am not sure how long it will be before I buy them in the stores. That made me a little frustrated, because I wanted to have them in LMO as soon as possible!

So I decided that I would hunt for them on YouTube! Other LMO Wikia members had found Series 12 codes on YouTube, so I figured that it couldn't be too hard to do. So, after setting up some search term, tweaking them to be what I wanted, bookmarking them for quick access, and about a month of hunting, I finally have the whole of Series 13 in LMO without using any of the codes that came with my store bought minifigures.

Here's how it works:
 * 1) Create a YouTube Account: You get much better performance having a YouTube account, as you are able to subscribe to YouTubers who post Unbaggings/Unboxings!
 * 2) Search for videos: You will want to search for a few Lego Minifigure videos to see what I am talking about. Try it out, search YouTube for "Lego Minifugures"
 * 3) *You will notice that your above search has results from 5 months, 2 months, 1 year, 2 hours, and so on. Those kind of results don't help, since the videos are so old.
 * 4) Apply Filters: Filters will help you get the results you are looking for. Click the Filters drop down, which is just above all of the videos that are returned. Select Upload Date and the videos will be sorted for you with the newest at the top!
 * 5) Bookmark your Search: Now you want to save that search, since you went to the trouble of creating it in the first place. Make a bookmark, probably in a folder called YouTube Minifigure Searches or something similar if you are a tidy sort, so that you can get back to it later. You will want to use the same search again and again!
 * 6) Search through the Video List: You will want to both read the names of the videos AND look at the video thumbnails to decide if the video is worth watching/scanning.
 * 7) Note the number of Views: In the list of videos, for each video it will show a number of "views." Each time someone watches a video, even just for a short bit, it counts as a view. If a video says that it has 32 views, then 32 different people have watched it. If a video in the list says "No Views" make sure you check the number of view when you open it as the list information isn't as current as the information attached to the video. A video may have many more views than what it says in the list. If a video says 9 views then it is likely the codes are taken.
 * 8) *I have gotten codes from videos with 20 views, but it take special effort, noted below.
 * 9) Watch a Video with No Views: Videos with No Views or 1 View are great for getting codes. Even videos with 3 Views can give you a code. Sometimes people are kind and state that they are sharing codes right in the title or description. Once I got a code from someone who put the code IN the decription! Most often you will need to watch the video. Don't worry, you don't need to watch the whole thing. Here are a few tricks:
 * 10) Use the Playbar: You can jump forward and backward in the video using the playbar. I jump by 3 or 5 second intervals. Watch for people unfolding the minifigure sheet. It is pretty obvious.
 * 11) Use Previews: Some videos have previews/thumbnails. You can use your mouse to quickly scan across the playbar and see a preview of what is in the video. You can the quickly jump to the frame of a code reveal to see the code.
 * 12) Click on the Video to Play/Pause: You don't need to click the Play/Pause button, you can click right on the video picture to play/pause the video. This saves time and is a lot easier than trying to click the little button in the lower left of the screen. Also, after you have done this once you can use the space bar to play/pause.
 * 13) Short Videos don't have Codes: Videos that are less than one minute usually don't have codes. The shortest video that I have gotten a code from was 1:37.
 * 14) Long videos rarely have Codes: Really long videos rarely have codes and who wants to sit through a 27:45 minute video, anyway?? However, there are tricks for those kinds of videos that make them super easy to scan, if you know how to do it!
 * 15) Like the Video, Comment & Subscribe: These people are putting up videos to share. The least you can do is click the Like button (Thumbs Up), leave a Comment (Thanks for the Code), and click Subscribe, which gives you a quick way to see if they have posted any new videos with codes!
 * 16) Check your Subscriptions: Every so often check your subscriptions. You will notice that your Subscriptions has a little number next to it. That means the people you have subscribed to have posted new videos. Click on Subscriptions to see what people have posted.

So, that's it! If you have any questions, let me know. If you have any suggestions, leave them here.

Later, I will be posting tips & tricks on how to use special tools for blurry or rotated codes.