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Collecting Nutcrackers
Collecting nutcrackers
Published Saturday December 20th, 2008
By LORI GALLAGHER
gallagher.lori@dailygleaner.com
Linda Dorcas enjoys her display of nutcrackers all through the Christmas season.
"I have at least 78 nutcrackers which I display in one area, which would be all around the television and that, and there is probably another 30 on the tree," she says.
The nutcrackers that Dorcas collects are not the tools used for cracking nuts - her nutcrackers are in the form of wooden carvings of a soldier, knight, king or other profession, a style that has existed since at least the 15th century.
These nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which can be opened by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine. Originally you could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth, press down and crack the nut. However, modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration and mainly come out at Christmastime.
Dorcas began collecting nutcrackers years ago. She doesn't remember which piece came first, but she does think it came from her sister.
"I don't know really what started me on it. I guess Christmas gifts. Someone asked me what I wanted and I just took a liking to nutcrackers."
When someone isn't sure what to get Dorcas, they give her a nutcracker.
It was great for her kids when they were growing up, as they are easy gifts to find. Even her husband has gotten involved, buying her nutcrackers now and then.
"And if I see a different one, I'll pick it up, because I guess everyone figures I have enough," she says, laughing.
Her oldest son, says Dorcas, isn't a fan, as he gets creeped out by them. That hasn't dimmed her enjoyment of them, though.
"I guess it's because they come in all shapes and forms and colours. I just love the colours."
She recently added a new one to her collection that is one of her favourites.
"I just got one this year and it's a mouse. I got it down at Costco and I really like that one," she says. "It's different."
Dorcas has other unique nutcrackers as well, including some hockey players.
"I've got the teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal, because I have a husband and one son Toronto and the other one is Montreal," she says.
She admits that she loves Christmas in general, so her nutcracker collection is a perfect fit with that.
She still receives at least one from someone every Christmas. Because of that, her collection truly comes in all shapes and sizes.
"The smallest one would probably be two inches and my tallest one would probably be four feet," she says.
Considering their growing numbers, it's a wonder she has the space to display all of these nutcrackers during the Christmas season.
"In my living room I have a wall unit and I've got two corner shelves on each side of that. Those are filled. The top of the wall unit is full. And I've got a shelf on top of that which is full. That wall is only seven feet, because I've got cathedral ceilings, so they're on top of that wall also," she says.
She likes to keep all of her nutcrackers to one area.
When asked if her nutcrackers can actually crack nuts, Dorcas admits she isn't sure.
"I haven't tried, but they're all workable. They all have the levers in the back, even the small ones you hang on the tree," she says. "I don't know how good they work."
They work wonderfully as Christmas decorations, though.
This doesn't have to be an expensive hobby, as the nutcrackers come in a wide array of prices. The smaller ones can be as little as $1.99, where the big ones can be much more.
"That's why Costco is where a lot of them are gotten. The big ones there range around $75. Buy any of those elsewhere and they are anywhere from $100 to $200 each," she says.
Dorcas admits she doesn't know a lot about the history of nutcrackers, but that isn't the appeal for her. She simply likes collecting them.
"I took a liking to them," she says.
That's a bit of an understatement, as with the number she has now, it takes her quite a while to get them set up each year.
"It usually takes me a couple of days. I take them out the very first of December and clean them all up," she says.
"I take them all out and line them up in the living room. Every year I arrange them differently and where they're all different sizes some can only go certain places."
All the work is worth it, though, as she gets to enjoy them through the month of December and they help put her in the holiday spirit. "It takes me awhile (to set them up), but I just love Christmas," says Dorcas.
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