How Much Did the Tooth Fairy Leave?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the amounts of money received from the tooth fairy for lost teeth, with participants sharing personal anecdotes and historical context. The conversation touches on inflation's impact on these amounts over time, as well as variations in practices across different households and cultures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report receiving amounts ranging from 5 cents to a dollar for lost teeth, depending on the decade and personal circumstances.
  • One participant suggests that inflation could be calculated to compare past amounts to current values, although they express difficulty in obtaining the necessary data.
  • Several participants mention the lack of a tooth fairy in their households, indicating that the tradition may not be universal.
  • There are discussions about the perceived value of teeth, with some humorously suggesting that the quality of teeth might affect the amount given by the tooth fairy.
  • One participant references historical studies on tooth fairy economics, noting that the exchange rate for teeth has been tracked against inflation over the years.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the tooth fairy's existence or the amounts given, sharing personal experiences that differ from the norm.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the amounts given by the tooth fairy, with a wide range of experiences shared. There is also disagreement on the existence and significance of the tooth fairy tradition itself.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying amounts received based on personal and cultural contexts, and some express uncertainty about the historical accuracy of their memories. The discussion also highlights the influence of inflation on perceived values over time.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in cultural traditions surrounding childhood experiences, inflation's impact on monetary values, or anecdotal accounts of growing up may find this discussion engaging.

Redbelly98
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Hey, just wondering how much money people got as a kid, or give to their kids now, from the tooth fairy for losing a tooth?

If you're willing, please provide a time frame. Maybe we can get a handle on how inflation has played into this.

I used to get 10 cents (Mid 1960's).
 
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The equivalent today would be around $3 (mid 80's)
 
The mid 1970s ranged 25 cents to 50 cents for me.
 
6d, a silver sixpence, 56ish, same as went into the christmass puddings.
 
When we get some more data, we can make a graph.
 
What age do kids lose teeth again?
 
Redbelly98 said:
Hey, just wondering how much money people got as a kid, or give to their kids now, from the tooth fairy for losing a tooth?

If you're willing, please provide a time frame. Maybe we can get a handle on how inflation has played into this.

I used to get 10 cents (Mid 1960's).

should put in 2009 $s... ,CPI now/CPI then * 10 cent but I couldn't get CPI :(

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt[/URL]
70 cents?!?
 
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It was a dime for me, in the late 50's or early 60's (I don't remember at what age I shed the old ones).
 
I was born in 1952, and my baby teeth went for about 5 cents each. I got a dime once (after I was hip to the scam) and tried to give it back to my mother. My father was supporting a family of 6 on just over minimum wage. She gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever gotten.
 
  • #10
Kurdt said:
What age do kids lose teeth again?

They only lose them once, they don't lose them again. :-p
 
  • #11
Redbelly98 said:
They only lose them once, they don't lose them again. :-p
Contraire, mon ami. In keeping with my overall weirdness, I had 3 sets of canines and incisors. The intermediate ones hung around for a couple years and then bailed. On the other hand, two of my wisdom teeth finally sprouted when I was 47 and I got them yanked because they were impacted. The other two still haven't come in, and I'm 53.
 
  • #12
wolram said:
6d, a silver sixpence, 56ish, same as went into the christmass puddings.
Thrupence or sixpence.

I would give my kids 4 quarters or a dollar coin.
 
  • #13
Redbelly98 said:
They only lose them once, they don't lose them again. :-p
After my older daughter started losing her second set of teeth due to a third set coming in, she had to have surgery to remove the rest of the third set. The third teeth that did come in before we removed the rest are perfectly normal.
 
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  • #14
I got a quarter per tooth. It was the late 60's.

My daughter got a dollar per tooth...that was about 10 years ago.
 
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  • #15
Early 60's I got 10 cents for a normal tooth, and 25 cents for a molar. The average child starts loosing teeth around 6 or 7.
 
  • #16
6 or 7 you say? I think i got 50p in the early nineties.
 
  • #17
The teeth I lost didn't do any productive work, so no money was received.
 
  • #18
misgfool said:
The teeth I lost didn't do any productive work, so no money was received.

Ahahaha...you don't think your teeth did work? You ate, didn't you :wink: ?
 
  • #19
lisab said:
Ahahaha...you don't think your teeth did work? You ate, didn't you :wink: ?

Eh... maybe their retirement fund was mismanaged?
 
  • #20
misgfool said:
Eh... maybe their retirement fund was mismanaged?

:smile:
 
  • #21
Redbelly98 said:
Hey, just wondering how much money people got as a kid, or give to their kids now, from the tooth fairy for losing a tooth?

I never got a dime if I lost it. :-p If it was put under my pillow I got a quarter. (mid 60's).

In keeping with the times, perhaps you should leave a bill for the disposal fee. With the exposure to blood, this comes under the heading of toxic materials handling, so additional surcharges should apply.
 
  • #22
http://cash4goldblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cash4goldtoday.jpg

Trade in your gold teeth. WERE MELTING GOLD BABY!
 
  • #23
  • #24
In the early 90's, I got a dollar (Canadian) for each one.
 
  • #25
wolram said:
6d, a silver sixpence, 56ish, same as went into the christmass puddings.

Into Christmas pudding? No wonder you lost teeth.
 
  • #26
20p - 50p in the late 1980s/early 90s.
 
  • #27
The first one I lost got me a nickel (1970). It went up to a dime, then to quarters. The last tooth I lost actually COST me about $80 (my one wisdom tooth, 1985). I think I lost out on the entire program.
 
  • #28
Who invented the tooth fairy, and why? The tooth fairy never existed in my household.
 
  • #29
Monique said:
Who invented the tooth fairy, and why? The tooth fairy never existed in my household.
You didn't loose any? :frown:
 
  • #30
In mine, it didn't exist too. However, I knew about it from watching TV, but I never really cared about it anyway.
 

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