The family secret was to be passed down from one Collins generation to the next. The oldest child in the family was to receive the secret from the secret holder (701). The secret regarded Barnabas Collins, who was a vampire and was locked in the secret crypt of the family mausoleum (705). It was assumed by most that the secret was about the location of the Collins family jewels. The secret was not discovered and was assumed to have died out with Edith Collins.