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Jon Collins-Black Interview – Six Questions on 2nd Anniversary of There’s Treasure Inside!
(NOTE: I had sent Jon ‘Six Questions’ earlier in October to answer at his convenience – he sent his answers to me on Monday 10/12/26 – of which I posted as quickly as I could.)
I’m always honored with the opportunity to chat with Jon Collins-Black – creator of the hunt There’s Treasure Inside. It’s actually HUNTS – clues to 5 different treasure boxes are hidden across the United States. Total treasure value in the millions – yes, that’s MILLIONS.
As of this writing, ALL 5 are believed out there yet to find. If you follow the clues, find what’s hidden, the TREASURE INSIDE is yours! So many are truly enjoying the Quest! Much appreciation to JCB! I love knowing there are Treasures out there to discover – some in the form of a hidden box filled with gold, jewels, relics, and other amazing artifacts! Let’s get to the Six Questions!
Previous Six Questions:
- 2024: Six Questions at Launch of There’s Treasure Inside (posted 10/20/24)
- 2025: Six Questions: 1 Year Anniversary (posted 11/10/25)
(Join discussions on clues on the MW Discord, MW Forum, or MW Facebook Group page)
Six Questions with Jon:
- 1Q) The quest and joy continues! Thank you!
Thank you, Jenny, and thank you to all the treasure hunters who’ve been a part of the hunt!
- Please provide an update on each of the 5 treasure boxes.
You know that, technically, this “inquiry” isn’t a question. 🙂
First, a confession: it’s challenging for me to comprehend that nearly two years have passed since this adventure began. I’m flabbergasted how quickly time hurls by. It’s a constant reminder to cherish whatever precious days, months, or years we are given. As for the boxes, they are all still waiting—much more patiently, I imagine, than some who are reading this. And that is ok on both accounts.
Pokémon box: There are those of you who are in the right area, if not on the right track. I wonder, will this be the first box found?
Past & Future box: I knew people could be remarkably creative in finding riddles where none exist. I’ve learned we’re equally capable of not noticing a riddle right in front of us. Perhaps we’re conditioned to believe we already know how riddles should look or feel.
Forrest Fenn box: I’ve mentioned it before, but I hid this box in a spot I came across while searching for Fenn’s treasure. That means it’s in one of four states: Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, or New Mexico. I have also confirmed that this treasure is not in Yellowstone.
As with Forrest’s poem, find the right canyon and you are well on your way. It used to go down, but I had to go around. There’s a sort of circular aspect to it, but you might really only understand what I mean by that once you are at the spot, considering it all.
Appalachian Footpath box: I am reminded of a famous treasure hunt where people were close early on and then gave up. Ten years later, a new searcher persevered. That treasure was exactly where some thought it could be all along.
Lion’s Share box: I am curious how quickly searchers will narrow down this treasure’s search area once one box is discovered. There are clues all over the book. I ponder how many people have figured out its state by now.
- 2Q) In our last Six Questions you mentioned that Mother Nature might have harmed one of the treasure boxes/locations, which makes me wonder about how the boxes interact with the natural environment. Are the boxes hidden in a way that allows them to remain visible and findable over time, or could leaves, branches, soil, or other natural debris or growth potentially cover or obscure a box – changing the way you initially hid and left the boxes for a searcher to find?
Mother Nature was considerably kinder this year. As far as I can tell, she left all the treasures in peace. I have no reason to believe any of the boxes would be more difficult to find today than when I hid them. I am not concerned with falling objects obscuring them.
- 3Q) Looking back at these two years, has anything about the way people have interpreted your clues surprised you? Have you learned anything from watching searchers work through the hunt that you would do differently if you were creating it today? What advice would you give searchers based on what you’re observing?
A large part of myself is reflected in this adventure, for better or worse. I have spoken before about how much I enjoy puzzles, games, escape rooms, and even role-playing games. More than an essence of that is sprinkled in the four chapters I wrote for the similar-sized boxes. But for me, a treasure hunt is not a game. It’s a campaign. A real-life quest.
As a child, I spent countless hours lost in my imagination, roaming around our sprawling neighborhood and later the woods behind our log home. I dreamed of pirates, faraway lands, and dream-world escapes. So, I offer a few reminders. I didn’t design clues that require an extraordinary IQ. In fact, one stumbling block might be that some of the answers to the questions people are looking for are simpler than they imagine. Also, don’t underestimate the value of being boots on the ground. Sometimes, exploring there really matters.
- 4Q) You thoroughly enjoyed The Thrill of the Chase – the hunt for Forrest Fenn’s treasure chest. Are you missing it? Have you picked up or are tempted to enjoy a chase like that again – like Beyond the Map’s Edge or other?
One week in 2023, my family vacationed at my home. During that visit, my sister announced she was going to look for the treasures I had hidden. I realized in that moment just how little I knew my sister. I’d never imagined she’d have any interest in a treasure hunt. The idea of my sibling finding one or more of my treasures was perfectly fine with me. But it was not ok with the rest of my family. Voices were raised. Stands were taken. Impassioned cases were made for and against this idea.
I watched the whole spectacle with bemusement, thinking that I really ought to get to know my sister better. In the end, my sister acquiesced to the majority’s opinion. As it happened, a different treasure hunt came about a little later, which gave my sister and her wife a perfect excuse to put their new RV to good use.
At some point, they asked for my thoughts, and I’ve had a little fun trying to help from afar. They are having a blast, living a dream, and making forever- memories along the way. I was gifted some brain exercise myself, which I appreciate.
As for BOTG in my life these days, that’s mostly limited to camping trips with my kids, entirely unrelated to any treasure hunting.
- 5Q) When a searcher believes they have a location for a treasure box, what would you say distinguishes an actual – correct solution from one that is simply possible?
I suspect the question behind the question is how undeniable a solution could be before going boots on the ground. In some cases, an exact small area is pretty undeniable. In others, you may need to explore the landscape once you arrive at a place.
- 6Q) How are you enjoying MarblePress? Do you have any plans for releasing another children’s book? (if so, do you think you’d slip in some clues?)
Marble Press is doing great. If you have children, please check out our books!
I have no plans for directly authoring any more children’s books at the moment. (Besides, the clues in Our Unbreakable Thread can take you pretty close to the Lion’s Share treasure already.)
As for new clues, and completely unrelated to Marble Press, there may be at least one opportunity in the coming months to gather some potentially valuable information about the treasure locations. I can’t say more now. When I can, I will let people know through my mailing list on the book’s website, www.treasureinside.com.