Welcome to TREASUREFIX

This is basically a synopsis of our introductory podcast episode, so if you don’t feel like listening to that, feel free to read on.

We are TREASUREFIX, a new concept in the world of treasure hunting. To this point, most of the renowned, “major” treasure hunts that you’ve perhaps heard of (e.g., Forrest Fenn, Jon Collins-Black, etc.) have been created by multimillionaires as, essentially, fun vanity projects. And that statement should in no way read as criticism in even the slightest degree. Having the resources and desire to get people off their butts and out exploring is an admirable aim that relatively few have dared pursue over the years!

But given the interest and excitement surrounding these treasure hunts, the question we kept asking ourselves is: why aren’t there more of them? That’s where TREASUREFIX comes in. We see a future where content creation and treasure hunting overlap in a regular, predictable, sustainable way; in a sense, becoming one and the same.

We do not have millions and millions of dollars at our disposal. But we do have a passion for puzzles, problem solving, and treasure hunting. Is there a world where a dedicated treasure hunting business model can succeed? We think so.

Let’s dig into that concept a little bit further. There’s a somewhat strange notion that seems to attach itself to every big treasure hunt that pops up: is the creator looking to profit off of the hunt? It’s funny, because when Hollywood producers make a film, or when a new author releases their first novel, nobody questions the (typically) inherent aim of making the project profitable. These content creators are (typically) rewarded with profit if the project is successful, and perhaps they lose money — or at bare minimum, the value of their time — if it isn’t.

So it’s a bit curious, at least to us, that treasure-hunt-content-creators are expected to produce the content, produce the entertainment value, produce the experience, and produce the reward (a.k.a. the treasure), but not profit from the endeavor. If that’s your stance, that’s fine, we won’t try to change your mind. To us, it’s just a curious position to take — essentially, that there’s no issue with attempting to profit off of creating content that people willingly choose to consume and enjoy, unless you are also giving those same people a chance to find treasure as part of the experience!

We won’t harp on it any longer. We are merely attempting to be transparent about the fact that we are trying to build a sustainable business model within the industry of treasure hunting, because that’s what we love, and that’s what we care about.

A couple other introductory comments to get out of the way:

• Our hunts are not “personal” to us (the content creators) in the same way that Forrest Fenn’s or Jon Collins-Black’s hunts seem to be. Which is not to say that our experiences or interests will not be reflected in any of the hunts, but more that we are aiming to create a catalogue of treasure hunts that will span years and hopefully decades, and the personal experience well would run dry pretty quickly in that context. Generic is a tricky word to use here, but in a sense, that captures what we are going for — a wide variety of hunts that will appeal to a wide variety of hunters, regardless of age, experience, interests, etc.
• Our initial release of treasure hunts is reflective of a small but growing community. As we continue to grow, we plan to significantly expand the types of hunts that we offer. For example, we are excited to be able to offer localized flash hunts that will be specific to a particular city or region. We’re perhaps most excited about expanding the forms of content we offer, including scripted entertainment content (i.e., imagine watching your favorite TV show, but it’s not just entertaining in its own right, rather you can gather clues and solve mysteries that lead to a reward at the end of it).
• We acknowledge that there will likely be some trial & error when it comes to the format and content of our treasure hunts, as we dial in to what works best within the framework of what we hope to bring to the treasure hunting community at large. We have some huge and exciting plans for the future, and we hope you will bear with us as we navigate our way there!