WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Johnny Perri grew up in his dad's jewelry store in Washington Township, J & M Jewelers. The lockdown due to COVID-19 not only took an economic toll on the business, but it also left Johnny bored, looking for somewhere to focus his energy.
And then, he found it -- the perfect farewell to his late father's store and a chance for some adventure of his own.
“Had the time of our life burying everything. It was awesome, man," he told 7 Action News.
That's right -- Johnny and his wife Amy buried most of the store's inventory, all over Michigan.
From metro Detroit to the U.P., you can find vintage engagement rings, precious coins, gold, and silver. Johnny guesses each buried treasure is worth around $4,000. All told, he said he buried around $1 million worth of treasure.
And all of the treasure is up for grabs - for those who buy a $49 ticket to Johnny's Adventure Quest, which starts officially on Aug. 1.
Aside from a lot of fun, there's one thing Johnny wants people to get out of this massive treasure hunt.
"Memories. Life is made of memories and that was our slogan here all these years," he said.
Each treasure has a GPS tracker, so Johnny will know if they've moved. Once found, you can keep the treasure or sell it back to Johnny.
Some of the treasure is 150 years old – precious inventory passed down from his father.
"He would think I’m nuts," Johnny said. "But he'd be all for it. He was a big giver."
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