Ambar Ramirez
Interview with “There’s Treasure Inside” author Jon Collins-Black
Words by Ambar Ramirez
As someone who proudly owns the entire “Pirates of the Caribbean” series on Blu-ray, my inner Jack Sparrow couldn’t resist when “Folio” caught wind of buried treasure hidden somewhere in St. Augustine. But this isn’t a long-lost trunk of gold washed ashore by chance — it’s a treasure carefully hidden by “There’s Treasure Inside” author Jon Collins-Black.
Five years ago, Collins-Black set out on a journey that would lead to a one-of-a-kind literary adventure: a national treasure hunt.
“Back in 2016, I had the chance to be a real-life treasure hunter. For a while I searched for a treasure in the Rocky Mountains for about a year, and I got to experience firsthand what it was like to just have an analog adventure in a digital world, you know, to go out into nature and try to solve clues to find a treasure box. It was really captivating,” Collins-Black shared. “And so I did have that kind of experience that in some ways informed this because when COVID happened and we had a lot of time on our hands, I kind of had this idea of like, I’d love to be able to create some national treasure hunt. And so I had the time at that point, and fortunately, the financial means and then the motivation. So I think treasure hunting, like the going out looking for a treasure or something, that was native to me, but really rekindled in the last few years that kind of led up to this.”
Collins-Black has always been a writer. Whether it was poetry or songwriting, from a young age, he naturally gravitated toward arts that were pen and paper. And before tackling this literary enigma, Collins-Black was working on a children’s book. While working on the manuscript, he reconnected with the things that brought him joy as a kid. What he didn’t know was that when he took the chance to be a real-life treasure hunter, it would lead him down an unconventional path. Collins-Black said it best, “I’ve never written a full-length adult nonfiction book. So this was… it was a beast of its own.”
It took about five years for Collins-Black to collect the 65 to 70 unique items that would be placed into five treasure boxes that are now hidden in five states across the nation.
“I was a stay-at-home dad who was writing children’s manuscripts and starting to create a children’s book publishing company when I started this project. So basically it took me over a year to acquire all the objects for the treasure, and I did it through networking, through different contacts I had had who were in the collecting space and also a lot of the auction houses, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, things like that. I kind of just scoured the whole world to try to find interesting objects. So I felt like I was shopping for all Americans for like a year or so. But I did want objects that were all interesting to me. But I also wanted objects that I felt like appealed to a wide range of interests and ages, you know? So that’s why I don’t just have gold coins and, you know, precious metals and valuable gems that are in there. But I also have shipwreck treasure because I know some people are really into shipwreck treasure. I have rare Pokemon cards, I have sports memorabilia. I have a lot of historical items, things that were owned by George Washington, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Onassis, Pablo Picasso,” Collins-Black said. “As far as hiding the treasures, that was the hardest process. For a couple of boxes, I had a general idea of where I thought they might go in the country, but, it was really a process of self, you know, asking myself a lot of questions about where I thought, you know, things that would be interesting to explore. I will say that all the objects probably have some sort of meaning to me. I mean, locations have some meaning to me personally, in some way. But, it was really a lot of exploring.”
“There’s Treasure Inside” is more than a physical national treasure hunt; it’s a work of literary non-fiction that delves into the history of objects discovered in the treasure trunks, weaving together the stories tied to these artifacts and the places where they are found. Collins-Black worked with five researchers to find the most thought-provoking and inspiring stories to intertwine with the narrative of this book. He emphasized that this book isn’t just for modern-day wannabe pirates but for anyone who finds themselves questioning the whys and hows of the world around them.
“You know, a lot of people want to know why I did this. So obviously it’s not for financial gain. And I always tell people I did this because every aspect of it has brought me a great amount of joy, and I want to share that joy with others. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really put a lot more emphasis on having experiences versus having things because the experiences are just so much more rich and valuable to me,” Collins-Black explained. “It kind of goes in that old cliche that it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey that matters. I mean, obviously, if someone finds the treasure they’re going to be super stoked and excited about that. But I think that what I experienced when I was out treasure hunting was that even though I didn’t find that treasure, I found incredible memories. And so if people go out there and search, I think they’re going to have incredible experiences whether they find it or not. I think friendships will be made, memories will be had.”
Whether you’re a history buff or have watched “National Treasure” one too many times, this non-fiction will take you on a journey like no other. And for any locals looking for an adventure, there’s treasure to be found in St. Augustine and within yourself.
“We’re all treasure hunters because treasure is simply just something a person values. So, you know, we all spend our lives trying to find things that we value, whether it’s a relationship, money, a career, an experience or a memory. We’re all seeking things. It’s a part of our humanity,” Collins-Black said.
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