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What does it take to channel the spirit of Jacques Cousteau and seek for secret treasure?
For Jon Collins-Black, this query sparked an exciting journey that led him to cover 5 treasure chests throughout the United States.
His new e-book, “There’s Treasure Inside,” presents hints for keen treasure hunters, sending them on an expedition to seek out hidden chests with a mixed prize worth of greater than $2 million.
Collins-Black has been a lifelong fantasy fanatic, immersing himself in video games and legendary adventures akin to Dungeons & Dragons since childhood.
By 2015, the profitable musician and entrepreneur was searching for a change of tempo and envisioned a challenge that might assist him reconnect along with his youthful creativeness.
Motivated by Forrest Fenn’s notorious treasure hunt launched again in 2010, Collins-Black dreamed of making one thing extra private and accessible. Instead of Fenn’s single chest hidden within the Rocky Mountains, Collins-Black envisioned a number of troves permitting each particular person throughout the nation the chance to be in nearer proximity to one of many chests.
“I needed to have the chests unfold out to provide folks the optimistic, adventurous chance,” he stated.
With a artistic background in writing, from poetry to kids’s e-book publishing, Collins-Black mixed his abilities to supply “There’s Treasure Inside,” aimed to entertain even those that don’t plan to search for the treasure.
Each chapter accommodates detailed clues resulting in one of many 5 chests.
Although Collins-Black stays tight-lipped in regards to the e-book’s specifics, he guarantees that anybody can discover the treasure. “All the clues you want are within the e-book,” he stated.
To shield the integrity of the search, Collins-Black labored with as few strategists and editors as attainable to keep away from any hints from leaking to the general public. He even determined to maintain the treasure areas a secret from his spouse.
“I couldn’t actually seek the advice of different folks as a result of I didn’t need (them) to have the burden,” he stated.
With no clear blueprint for such an bold challenge, he experimented by way of trial and error, fastidiously programming the problem of the clues.
“There’s Treasure Inside” has already created a buzz, with 1000’s of individuals gathering on dialogue channels akin to Discord to share their theories. Many are even satisfied they’ve pinpointed the states the place the treasure is situated, in response to Collins-Black.
Adventurers don’t want to fret about their security whereas looking, he says. No harmful underwater exploration, climbing or getting into personal property is required, and anybody of common well being can journey to the websites. And it’s essential to know that no digging is critical to seek out the treasure.
While Collins-Black needs the treasure hunt to be demanding, he’s clear in regards to the timeline: “I do hope and assume it would take a short time, however I don’t want this to take perpetually,” he stated.
Should the chests stay unfound for a number of years, he believes he’ll launch extra clues — or possibly even a sequel — to see his quest come to life.
Collins-Black meticulously curated the treasures hidden throughout the chests to captivate a variety of pursuits and supply an unparalleled treasure-hunting expertise.
Collaborating with historians, Collins-Black attended auctions till he created the right, one-of-a-kind assortment. He financed the items with cash he saved from early bitcoin investments.
“I used to be like a child in a sweet retailer,” he stated.
Inside the chests, searchers can stay up for hopefully finding objects akin to uncommon Pokémon playing cards, shipwreck bounty, sports activities memorabilia, gold and treasured medals.
Among among the most prized possessions are these with historic significance, together with objects owned or made by Pablo Picasso, George Washington, Amelia Earhart and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
As the chests await discovery, the worth of many objects continues to develop.
It’s almost not possible for Collins-Black to pick a favourite merchandise from the lot, however a number of particular objects — a brooch as soon as owned by Jackie Onassis, a 96-carat emerald and Wilma Rudolph’s 1960 Olympic gold medal — maintain a particular place in his coronary heart.
The solely merchandise on his wishlist that he couldn’t safe was one in every of Albert Einstein’s pipes, which he misplaced in a bidding struggle.
One chest was deliberately made bigger and extra worthwhile than the others to boost the stakes.
“I needed to place extra worth in a treasure chest than ever earlier than,” stated Collins-Black.
With clues ready to be unraveled and treasures to be uncovered, the search is formally on — will you be the one to seek out the grand prize?
