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Local Scavenger Hunt Brings Out Treasure-Seekers

Jan 03, 2022 06:13PM ● By Jeanne Fratello

Images of some of the treasures hidden by Right Tribe of Manhattan Beach during a past scavenger hunt.

If you happened to see people digging in the sand and looking under bushes and branches over New Year's Weekend, you weren't imagining things. You were probably seeing the treasure-hunters who came out in droves for a scavenger hunt hosted by the Manhattan Beach shop Right Tribe.

The fun-loving duo of Lauren Kolodny and Johnny Flanagan, owners of Right Tribe, hid a total of 45 different crystals, gems, vintage ceramic animals, and even a plant for the weekend scavenger hunt. The treasures were placed in special spots across the South Bay, from Palos Verdes to Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo. 


For each item hidden, Right Tribe posted a video on their Right Tribe Instagram feed. Each video shows the item being tucked away...and then the camera pans up to offer a brief glimpse of the surroundings, usually a recognizable landmark.

When someone finds an item, they send a photo or video to Right Tribe and the object gets marked as "found."

"It is a lot of work but it is the most rewarding when we get videos of the find, or comments from people letting us know how much fun they had, even if they did not find a treasure," Kolodny told DigMB. "One mom told us that she loved the bonding time she had with her son. She said, 'We didn't find anything but we had a blast! Thank you for creating those moments.'"

Some of this scavenger hunt's hidden treasures included a gem necklace, a polychrome jasper heart, a petrified shark tooth, a black moonstone palm stone, a rainbow fluorite slab, a rose quartz mushroom, a vintage toy hippo, a rose quartz tiger, and a phallic rose quartz key chain (shown at bottom right in the cover photo grid, for those who are curious).

All 45 objects have been found.

Scavenger Hunt Tradition Continues

The New Year's scavenger hunt was actually the third of its kind. Right Tribe hosted one in Christmas 2020, then a second one during the 2021 Hometown Fair, and this one over New Year's weekend (which was actually scheduled for Christmas but got postponed due to rain).

Given the popularity of the scavenger hunt, Right Tribe is planning to host another one over Valentine's Day. Kolodny and Flanagan will be hiding gemstone hearts all across the South Bay. 

"Johnny loves hiding treasures so much," said Kolodny. "He grew up doing treasure hunts on Christmas and wanted to start a fun new tradition for our customers and followers on Instagram."


The Right Tribe shop features a one-of-a-kind collection of curated gifts and collectibles, geodes and crystals, and handmade leather goods. While the gallery is tucked away in a small space on Center Place (behind Splendid), visitors are often lured in by a wildly decorated bike that sits across the street at the parking garage.

Right Tribe is also known for creating unique and entertaining experiences in its shop. Since moving to Manhattan Beach in 2016, they have earned fans for their geode-cracking parties and (pre-pandemic) "free pie" days on Sundays with freshly baked pies.

Right Tribe is located at 328 Center Place in Manhattan Beach. For scavenger hunt updates, follow the shop on Instagram at @RightTribe

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