Nutcracker Doll

[angelnise]

I have a PM version.

I have to give her an A. As a play doll for a doll, she makes more sense than the minis and is much more historically accurate. I keep her wrapped up so she can be opened and reopened, if my niece wants to play "Christmas". She's very cute, as long as you make sure to keep her hair from getting "fuzzy".

[megadeth]

The detail on this doll is gorgeous. She is my favorite of the dolls and I have often wished they made a big version for myself. The idea of a nutcracker doll is neat anyway, I have never heard of one before. I always call her Clara like in the ballet.

[QNPoohBear]

This doll is very delicate and shouldn't be played with by a young child. She is made from real porcelain and her hair is a wig which can easily get ratty. Her pink hair ribbon and Nutcracker doll are also easily loseable.
The details on the PM doll's dress are exquisite and well-made-tiny "seed pearl buttons", lace and velvet. Her face is lacking in color and she looks like a ghost next to the current version. Overall grade for both: A

[JabberwockyPie]

I'd give her an F. She's overpriced and doesn't have much play value. Even as an adult I'm too scared she'll break to actually do anything with her. You could easily get something very similar for at Dollar General for . . . well, a dollar, and put the $15 you saved toward another outfit or an accesory set.

[Moker]

I am not sure why people are saying she looks easily breakable. She doesn't seem very breakable to me. I love all the details on her, the nutcracker, and her poseable body. I give her an A+!

[scandia]

I have one and she has lasted 10 years. Very pretty overall. Love the detail of her dress. She has not broken even if I have moved twice. A+ from me too.

[MelissaD]

I'm not sure if we are reviewing Mattel, Pleasant Co., or extra early Pleasant Co., (which is different from later PC) or all three. This review is for a later PC, around 1996-97
I really like this doll. Although it can't be played with for hours on end like Kirsten's Sari, (I used that doll as a dollhouse doll for years, and it still looks almost perfect), it isn't quite as fragile as a person-sized porcelain doll.
The details are lovely. The top half or her dress and her sleeves are a rose-pink velvet, and the bottom half is a light pink, satin-like material, as are her tiny bloomers. The lace is off white/cream colored. Her shoes are painted on, and they are the same color of pink as the velvet.
The nutcracker doll she holds is about 2" tall. He is wood, NOT plastic.
Her hair is dark brown, about the color of Samantha's, and will get frizzy if you leave her ribbon untied. She has a very lovely painted face.
She is 5 1/2" tall, which I am assuming is shorter than the Mattel's because the Lydia I have is 6 1/2" tall (not counting that big bonnet)

The cons are:
-Her hair doesn't see to be glued on all the way, giving her a little bit of a bald look on the sides of her head (but I'm sure this could be fixed, with some extra glue)
-She is not shiny, like real porcelain dolls of that era.
-She does not have nearly as light of skin as real porcelain dolls of that era, but her skin is a little lighter than Lydia's (but almost the same)



I give her a B+

Here she is:

The baldness:

Next to Lydia. See how much bigger Lydia is?

[historical]

She a beautiful Doll overall with excellent details. I'm not sure about being extremely breakable, because I've had her for over 10 years (since I was a little girl) and she still is in decent shape & unbroken after being played with a bit. Her dress does get runs in it, and the hair gets frizzy, but overall she is beautiful.

I give her a A-

[missygirl]

I was surprised to learn that her nutcracker comes unattached (at least mine did), but overall IMO the doll is cuter in person than on the site. Her hair is smooth and nice, and her dress is pretty. She looks really well made, but I haven't yet played with her, and I she will not be used with kids. It's cute and from what I've heard it is historically accurate.
Grade: A

_{mod edit to remove broken image links}

[Jenelle]

I think my Nutcracker doll is from the early Pleasant Company era. I got her in either 1989 or 1990. From all the AG sites I've checked out recently, I can't seem to find a picture of my doll, which has blue eyes instead of brown. Even in the summer 1990 catalog the doll is shown with brown eyes, so I'm guessing I got her when I got my Samantha doll in 1989. I loved this little doll for Samantha especially because she had so much detail. Her top felt like velvet and her skirt and pants were silky. My doll's hair is still very shiny and still feels soft except for the ends. Unfortunately both of the Nutcracker's arms fell off, but I still have all the parts and it'd be easy to fix. Also, the lace is coming off of the bottom hem of her dress, but it's still mostly attached and she has a small spot on her lower lip, which I might be able to scratch off. I don't think she was easily breakable, yes she is porcelain, but is very sturdy and mine's held up for over 15 years (only played with for about 7-8 years when I was 7-14 though). A.

mod edit to remove broken image links

[Ayla]

I have a late PM doll, and I do not believe she is fragile. I managed to destroy the pram, yet the doll still has shiny hair. I think I must have been smart enough to leave her hair tied in her ribbon (looking at my mini Sam, her hair is also tied in the original style with meet ribbon). The only thing I would note is that my nutcracker is attached with a flimsy string I believe will break any day now. It does not stay in place well. In addition, the nutcracker has stained poor Clara's hand red/pink.

So, I would disagree that a child should not play with this. The idea of a doll (Sam) with a doll (Clara) with a doll (nutcracker) is just too adorable and picturesque. She is possibly my favorite Sam accessory, though I did play with mini Sam way more than Clara.

I give Clara an A+, and the nutcracker a B-, since at least its arms didn't fall off like a previous member posted.

[samlizziesmom]

I got mine in Christmas of '95. I love her! I wish I had been able to get Lydia, but I wasn't. Anyway, I think she is just adorable. The hair on mine is ratty, and her dress is stained (don't know how), but most of that is because of hearty play time, hehe.

[Catlin]

I have the Mattel version of this doll, and I love her. She has such lovely hair, and the attention to detail is fantastic. Her little nutcracker is the icing on the cake. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to get her, but she was worth the wait.

[starwenn]

I just got what I believe to be the Mattel version of this doll for Samantha for Christmas from eBay. She must not have ever been played with, because she's absolutely gorgeous, with perfectly smooth and shiny hair and no runs or stains on her dress. She's missing the Nutcracker, but otherwise, she's perfect. No wonder Samantha wanted her so badly in "Samantha's Surprise!"

[Ensign Shadow Snogger]

A very sweet board member sent me this lovely dolly for free! I got her in the mail yesterday and I'm very pleased with her.

My Clara is Mattel.

She has a sweet little face. Pay zero attention to AGs fail photography that make her look like Michael Jackson. She's very pretty and feminine and has the softest little expression.
Her hair is very soft and shiny, and has some little highlights in it in the right light, tied together by a pretty pink ribbon.
The little nutcracker she holds is just adorable. However:

Jul 6, 2009 1:28:37 GMT -5 Ayla said:

In addition, the nutcracker has stained poor Clara's hand red/pink.

Mine had this as well. I took a Q tip with a small amount of non-acetone nail polish remover and the stain came right off! Took all of 10 seconds and now there's not a single trace. I wouldn't suggest letting a child do this though because the polish remover can also remove any and all face paint, so be sure to not put it anywhere but her hand, or you'll be painting her a new little face!

I love her little "shoes". They're just painted on but they look just so, and I'm not sure removable shoes would have pulled it off the same way.

Also, I do not feel like she'll break if I blink. She's a sturdy little girl. I don't get the fear of dropping her like I do with my 16/17"ish porcelain dolls. I'm quite convinced even if I did drop her on accident, she'd be just fine. I think she's a great toy for a child of 7 or 8+. I also feel like she could be a good gift to an adult who collects porcelain dolls but not AG, perhaps. She's truly a lovely doll just for herself.

I give her an A with no hesitation!

[RiceDoll]

When I was younger, I used to get a kick out of the catalog pictures with Sam and her nutcracker doll. A doll with a doll with a doll. I thought it was the neatest thing ever. I also thought Clara herself was very pretty and she was always one of the first things I circled in the catalog. Years later, I finally have my own little Clara (the early PC one that I really wanted) and while my inner child is ecstatic, the grown up me feels a little . . . ehh.


The one I purchased doesn't have the little nutcracker, so no reviews on that. However, the hand that once held the nutcracker has reddish spots that I will try to remove as soon as I can. Her darling little face is beautiful, but I can't help feel as though someone didn't apply Clara's lip paint properly. It's just a teensy bit uneven. Also, her face looks like she overdid it with the powder because it's lighter than her hands, but it's still cute. She just looks like she's wearing makeup. In the comparison with the other dolls for dolls I have, she's a wee bit smaller than mini Kirsten.


She didn't come with a ribbon in her hair and has a bit of a sticky spot in the back where the ribbon might have been. The texture of her hair reminds me of my Lindsey because of the frizzies and overall dryness. Just like Lindsey's hair, her hair feels soft in some areas and rough in others. I think her wig is only secured at the top. When I pull her hair back, I feel like I could easily pull the wig off.


Maybe it's just my Clara, but her left foot isn't as smooth as her right foot. It's almost like her left foot is cracked or something. I'm not sure why that is.


The thing that turned me off the most was the lace quality, but then again, I am a pretty big lace snob. I guess I was expecting some sort of softer lace, but it's really scratchy and cheap-looking. In my opinion, it's a bit off scale for Clara's dress and makes me think that a lace machine sort of went crazy on the trimming, but smaller and more delicate lace might have been more difficult to work with.


There's white, fluffy stuff inside the sleeve connecting to the arm. Pipe cleaner, maybe? It certainly looks like it is. I never knew that her arms were bendy. I don't think I'm actually supposed to bend them, but it's fun because it gives Clara different looks. For some reason, the fingers on one hand are more detailed than the other. Her body feels slightly squishy, but since her dress is sewn closed, I don't know what it's actually made of. Also, Clara says hello in the picture below.


Overall, I give her a B-. She's still very pretty, just not quite what I was expecting. I'll try and post pictures later on. It's dark right now and every picture I take of Clara doesn't do her any justice. Edit: Took some pictures~! Hopefully, they're the right size. Last one's with Lindsey for size comparison.