My Nutcracker Collection + How to Display Nutcrackers
It dawned on me while I was setting up my nutcracker collection for the holidays that I had not shared it with you! I’ve been collecting nutcrackers since I was a kid, and I’ve built up quite the collection over the years that I enjoy displaying every Christmas. I currently have 27 nutcrackers (plus one short one I use as filler until I even it up with another nutcracker!).
The Nutcracker has always been one of my favorite ballets. My mom and I dressed up and attended the ballet together for years, and I always picked up a new nutcracker at the show to add to my growing collection. In Boise, I watched The Nutcracker performed by Ballet Idaho, and when I moved to Utah for grad school, I started attending the shows performed by Ballet West. Korri and I now attend the Ballet Idaho shows together, though sadly, and unsurprisingly, they were cancelled this year due to COVID.
I was so used to the version Ballet Idaho performed (I swear it didn’t change for years!) that the Ballet West show seemed so different to me when I first saw it! I quickly realized how fun it is to watch the same show with different costumes and sets. Both Ballet Idaho and Ballet West recently changed their costumes and sets again. I maintain that the best Mother Ginger is the first one I saw at Ballet Idaho! And we all agree that the second act is the best, right?
My Nutcracker Collection
My memory is fuzzy, but I believe my first nutcracker was the one I got from my first The Nutcracker ballet with my mom, and I’m not really certain on which one that was exactly. (I marked the year I got it on some of the nutcrackers but of course I forgot to check them for this post before putting them up!) Soon after, I received my tallest nutcracker, the one dressed in red with a fuzzy black hat, and I named it Nick (in honor of jolly ol’ Saint Nick, of course). The collection gradually grew from there—I was given new nutcrackers periodically as gifts, and I also inherited my grandmother’s nutcrackers. And of course, I added a new nutcracker every year at The Nutcracker ballet!
I gave some of my other nutcrackers names, and I’m fairly certain I have a list somewhere with all of their names, but of course I can’t locate it before hitting publish. I’ll be sure to update this post if I find it again! Riveting information, I know.
When I was younger up through grad school, my dad and step mom displayed the nutcrackers as part of their decor, and I was given my entire collection of nutcrackers when I moved in with Korri. Now they live on top of the bookshelves in our house! (Not year-round, of course. Though I think Korri wishes they did!)
Some of my favorites are the ones I got each year from the Ballet West performances. Ballet West had them specially made so each one notes the year of the performance. Those nutcrackers are in the dark blue coat, light blue coat, fuzzy white hat and white boots, and shiny gold coat. I wish Ballet Idaho had done the same thing! I think the lack of year on them is why I marked my early nutcrackers with the year I got them.
I also love the ones I got from my grandmother. They’re the oldest-looking ones in my collection, but I love their quirks! Quite a few of my nutcrackers have flaws (missing pieces, chips, etc.) but I’ve embraced them. They get packed away very safely in the off season to hopefully prevent more flaws from occurring.
Since most of my nutcrackers are either old or were specially made for the ballet, they’re not available to purchase (or at least, I couldn’t find them!). My two Kurt Adler nutcrackers (which are technically Korri’s I guess since those were his picks the last couple of times we went to The Nutcracker)—the one with the dolphins on its head and the one with the polar bear sitting on its head—are still available! Warning: The Kurt Adler nutcrackers are very glittery. Handle with caution. 😉
If you’re looking to add nutcrackers to your decor, I couldn’t help but round up every cute nutcracker I saw for this post in the widgets below, so I broke them up by price range (and they’re all displayed from lowest to highest price). The first batch is under $50, the second is between $50 and $100, and the last is above $100 with none above $200. I did see a couple of 6-foot tall nutcrackers going for $1200 which would honestly be amazing haha! I’m definitely more of a nutcracker “purist”—I’m not drawn as much towards the nutcrackers that aren’t the traditional nutcracker look with the eyebrows and the moustache—but I think a couple of random ones snuck in there (mice, haha).
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I also wanted to point out that Ballet West partnered with Nutcracker Gift Boutique so that 20% goes back to the company when you purchase nutcrackers directly from their nutcracker boutique! This is what I’m probably going to do since we aren’t seeing the ballet live this year and I know the companies are hurting because they can’t hold the shows. Check to see if your local company has a boutique!
If you’re also missing The Nutcracker this year, Ballet West is broadcasting the ballet on KSL-TV commercial-free (there’s a free app available) on December 24th, 25th, and January 1st from 5:30 to 7 pm MST! I think folks from outside of Utah will be able to watch on the app—fingers crossed!