Legends say that nutcrackers are a representation of power and strength, the small guys acting as ambassadors of good will. German folklore even made them into tokens intended to bring good fortune and protection from evil spirits.

If these legends are true, Anna Claire Forster should definitely feel safe and secure. Forster maintains a year-round display of about 200 nutcrackers in her small, one-bedroom apartment, collected over a 30-year span.

The first was a gift from friends who'd visited Germany. The second was purchased by some neighbors, because the nutcracker was named Forster. And the third was a gift from actor Jo Pruden. The rest is history. “;Once you have three of something, you start to have a collection,”; Forster explained.

Different sections of her nutcracker displays can be viewed from various angles in the room, she said. “;I like seeing the little guys ... and I don't have space to store them in a basement or attic.”;

Each has a story. Some were purchased, others were gifts. “;I check on eBay every couple days because I don't want to miss anything. A collection ought to show you many different things.”;

Not that diversity is any problem for Forster. She started with just German-made pieces, but now she has a wide array, including some made of Swarovski crystals. “;I've had fun getting every single one.”;

Nutcrackers in the personas of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison and Sherlock Holmes fill her shelves, along with the Phantom of the Opera, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Christopher Columbus, Captain Hook and Capt. Smith of the Titanic.

Her chimney sweep nutcracker was acquired as a reminder of summers spent in Alaska with her husband. “;We had a wood stove in Alaska and had to clean the chimney,”; Forster said. “;My husband died last March. I really miss him. ... We collected these together. We rescued many of them and repaired them.”;

The Phantom, for example, was damaged when purchased. “;We shopped around, bought some stuff and made him like new.”;

Some of her first characters were a clockmaker, blacksmith, potter, organ grinder and shoemaker. Others are musical, like the “;Cats”; nutcracker that plays “;Memories.”;

One special, heavy-duty nutcracker was used as a doorstop. “;He kept falling and made a hole in the linoleum,”; Forster said. “;Now he has been banished to the shelf.”;