Don't worry, don't be shocked either, if you don't know what the word means. I met this word in Hungarian last week and had to look it up, as I had no clue either, so to save you from a search, here it is.
A bestiary (Latin: bestiarium vocabulum) is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson. This reflected the belief that the world itself was the Word of God and that every living thing had its own special meaning. For example, the pelican, which was believed to tear open its breast to bring its young to life with its own blood, was a living representation of Jesus. Thus the bestiary is also a reference to the symbolic language of animals in Western Christian art and literature.
This is definitely not a word in my vocabulary, or a topic of discussion for me, as this wold is far from what it interests me, yet, it had a huge impact on me.
To get to the point, I saw something listen on Vinted (yes, Vinted again 😂), that caught my eye. The product was listed as Rejtélyek Városkája – Egyedi kézzel rajzolt bestiárium (3 napló összefoglalva), which translates in English as City of Mysteries - Unique hand-drawn bestiary (3 diaries summarized), but at a better look, it turns out we're talking about something else.
To be honest, first I saw the notebook, then I saw the price, which equals to 27€, which made me curious and that's how I started investigating. Based solely on the price, I said who is going to buy some handwritten notes and drawings (which did not look artistic at all), for that money, so I marked as favorite, to get notified, in case it is sold.
After running a search, to see what Rejtélyek Városkája is in fact, I had to learn that it is in fact about Gravity Falls, an American animated mystery comedy television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD.
The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal), who are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle (or "Grunkle") Stan (Hirsch) in Gravity Falls, Oregon, a mysterious town rife with paranormal incidents and supernatural creatures. The kids help Stan run the "Mystery Shack", the tourist trap that he owns, while also investigating the local mysteries.
Some episodes are available on YouTube, so you can have a look here, to have a clue about it. Maybe some of you are familiar with it, I've never heard or seen it, but that doesn't change the admiration I have for the seller. So what it is exactly?
Title: City of Mysteries - Unique handmade bestiary
📚 Content: Complete Hungarian summary of the three diaries in the series
🎨 Illustrations: Colored and black-and-white drawings drawn by my own hand
📖 Binding: Unique, hand-edited booklet / book
🔎 Condition: Beautiful, spare, unique creative work. All drawings and pages are self-made.
🌟 Special feature: Fan‑made collector's item that exists in a single copy.
It's in vogue to make all kinds of junk journals and diaries, using old paper and all kinds of paper accessories to make your journal unique and old or aged, but a fan art like this it a totally different level. I've never seen anything like this, but it swept me off my feet.
Imagine the dedication and the skill this guy has as creating something like this requires more than just half an hour of writing something random.
Two days after I noticed the listing and did my research to see what it is, got the message that is was sold. It was shocking, in a best way possible as I was glad the guy's work is appreciated as what better proof you want in this regard, other than someone paying the price. But this also proves there's a market for this type or art, which is the best news. Yes, I dare to call it art and this is the reasons I am posting about it.
It's been a good few months since I discovered 
In a digital world, where fanart has moved away from pen and paper to screens and sophisticated apps, that makes the job way easier, but still can't replace what pen and paper can give you.
Hive is my online diary, so I wanted to save this idea and post here, because sold items are deleted after some time, so I want to be able to look back and check this photos later, plus I was hoping I can motivate some of you, to start creating something.
Most likely, I'll never be able to sell my "artwork" as I tend to get attached to is, especially this kind of art, which, without any talent, is not easy for me, but that won't stop me. For me, this is not about the money, but about learning a new skill and getting better at it, plus the distraction.
Some of you, from countries where life is expensive, would say it's not worth it for that money, but this is not about money, or not just about money. For someone without the required talent, it can take a lot of time and thus you say it's not worth it, but for a talented hand, this doesn't take long.
Anyway, I'm glad someone appreciated it and bought it.
If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides:
