Anyone seen Tink lately? Anyone?

Day 43

The legend of the tooth fairy is that of a fairy that gives a child money and/or gifts in exchange for a baby tooth (also know as deciduous or milk tooth) that has fallen out. Children typically place the tooth under their pillow at night. The fairy is said to take the tooth from under the pillow and replace it with money once they have fallen asleep.

Fairy collecting is the collection of fairies for hobby, scientific study or profit. Historically fairy collecting has been widespread and a very popular educational hobby. Fairy collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs. The practice is still widespread in Japan, especially amongst the youth demographic. 


Since most types of fairies have hard exoskeletons that retain their appearance after the fairy dies, it is easy and practical to form a collection. With many thousands of colorful and attractive species known, a collection may become quite large. The collecting of tooth fairies is perhaps most popular, with pixies in second place.

Nowadays some collectors practice their hobby also by rearing some breeds of fairies, or fairy ova, to adulthood. When done well, this procreates more adults than in nature. Some of the adults are released back in the wild, thus minding the numbers of individuals in natural populations. This method has also been used in some conservation programs.

Methods of collecting vary, however most collectors use a humane, responsible method including trapping and other non harmful methods. The plucking off of wings is strongly discouraged.