What does it take to channel the spirit of Jacques Cousteau and search for a secret treasure?
For John Collins-Black, this question sparked an exciting journey that led him to hide five treasure chests in the United States.
His new book Inside is a treasure offers tips for eager treasure hunters, sending them on an expedition to find hidden chests with a total prize value of more than $US2 ($A3) million.
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The inspiration
Collins-Black has been a lifelong fantasy enthusiast, immersing himself in games and mythical adventures like Dungeons & Dragons since childhood.
Until 2015 the successful musician and entrepreneur was looking for a change of pace and envisioned a project that would help him reconnect with his younger imagination.
Motivated by Forrest Fenn infamous treasure hunt that began in 2010, Collins-Black dreamed of creating something more personal and accessible. Instead of a single Fenn chest hidden in the Rockies, Collins-Black envisioned multiple finds, allowing every person across the country the opportunity to be closer to one of the chests.
“I wanted the crates to be spread out to give people the optimistic, adventurous option,” he said.
With a creative writing background ranging from poetry to publishing children’s books, Collins-Black has combined her skills to produce There’s Treasure Inside — aiming to entertain even those who don’t plan to hunt for the treasure.
The search
Each chapter contains detailed clues leading to one of five chests.
Although Collins-Black remains tight-lipped about the specifics of the book, he promises that anyone can find the treasure. “All the clues you need are in the book,” he said.
To protect the integrity of the search, Collins-Black worked with as few strategists and editors as possible to avoid leaking hints to the public. He even decided to keep the location of the treasures a secret from his wife.
“I couldn’t really consult with other people because I didn’t want (them) to carry the burden,” he said.
With no clear plan for such an ambitious project, he experimented by trial and error, carefully programming the difficulty of the clues.
There’s Treasure Inside has already caused a stir, with thousands of contributors flocking to discussion channels like Discord to share their theories. Many are even convinced they have named the states where the treasure is located, according to Collins-Black.
Adventurers don’t have to worry about their safety while searching, he says. No dangerous underwater exploration, climbing or trespassing on private property is required and anyone of average health can travel to the sites. And it’s important to know that no digging is necessary to find the treasure.
While Collins-Black wants the treasure hunt to be demanding, he’s clear about the timeline: “I hope and I think it might take a while, but it doesn’t have to take forever,” he said.
If the chests remain undiscovered for several years, he believes it will release additional clues—or perhaps even a sequel—to see his mission come to life.
The treasure
Collins-Black has carefully selected the treasures hidden in the chests to appeal to a wide range of interests and offer an unparalleled treasure hunting experience.
Collaborating with historians, Collins-Black attends auctions until she creates the perfect, one-of-a-kind collection. He financed the pieces with money he saved from early bitcoin investments.
“I was like a kid in a candy store,” he said.
Inside the chests, searchers can look forward to finding items such as rare Pokémon cards, a shipwreck reward, sports memorabilia, gold and precious medals.
Among some of the most valuable items are those with historical significance, including items owned or made by Pablo Picasso, George Washington, Amelia Earhart and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
While chests are waiting to be discovered, many items continue to increase in value.
It’s nearly impossible for Collins-Black to pick a favorite item from the lot, but a few specific items — a brooch once owned by Jackie Onassis, a 96-carat emerald, and iconic 1960 Olympic gold medal sprinter Wilma Rudolph. – hold a special place in his heart.
The only item on his wish list he was unable to secure was one of Albert Einstein’s pipes, which he lost in a bidding war.
One chest was deliberately made larger and more valuable than the others to raise the stakes.
“I wanted to put more value into a treasure chest than ever before,” said Collins-Black.
With clues waiting to be unraveled and treasures to be discovered, the search is officially on – will you find the grand prize?
