COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- Leila Henry keeps an impressive collection of nutcrackers in her Colonial Heights home. At last count, the collector had more than 500 nutcrackers on display.
"I have Wizard of Oz, Captain America, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Snoopy, Star Wars, Rumpelstiltskin," she said. "My favorites are my branches of the military, my police officers, and firefighters."
Her passion for the product started 26 years ago when someone gave her two nutcrackers as a gift after her daughter's birth. As her daughter grow, so did her nutcracker collection.
"A lot of my friends gave them to me as Christmas gifts when they realized I liked nutcrackers," she said.
When COVID arrived, her collection reflected the change.
"I even have a nurse and a doctor," she said.
While most of these will head back to the attic after Christmas, some have earned year-round status.
"My branches of the military and my firefighters and certain ones stay out all year round," she said. "My favorite is my Fisherman. It is near and dear to my heart. I was given to me last year as a tribute to my father-in-law."
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
