Diversions August 28, 2014

Fairy Bust: Survey Says Kids Get Less for Lost Teeth

Enamel just doesn’t bring what it used to. Visa’s annual Tooth Fairy survey shows that American children receive an average of $3.40 per lost tooth this year, down 8% from last year.
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For a full set of 20 baby teeth, American kids also get a slightly more modest $68, down from $74 last year, according to the survey. Last year’s survey was marked by a decided uptick in spending, which was a dramatic 23% increase from 2012. At that time, $20 bills were flying around in a volatile baby teeth market.

Among other findings:

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  • Fathers reported (being) a far more indulgent Tooth Fairy, saying that the Fairy left 45% more than moms claimed to: an average of $4.20 versus $2.90.
  • Ten percent of kids get more than $5 per tooth.
  • A third (33%) of respondents said the Tooth Fairy left a dollar.
  • Only 3.6% said that the Fairy left $20 or more, down from the 6% of kids who received that amount in 2013.
  • Kids in Canada received the equivalent of $2.60 in U.S. dollars on average this year (accounting for the exchange rate), the same amount the Tooth Fairy was leaving kids in the U.S. in 2011.
  • The Tooth Fairy spoiled kids on the West Coast the most, leaving $3.60. Kids in the South and Northeast each receive an average of about $3.50. The Tooth Fairy was most thrifty in the Midwest, leaving an average of only $3.10.

 

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