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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jan. 31, 2012
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Class N
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther none
Wire Redemption Fee rr_ShareholderFeeOther 15.00
Exchange Fee rr_ExchangeFee none
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.75%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.25%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.25%
One Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 127
Three Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 397
Five Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 686
Ten Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,511
Annual Return 2002 rr_AnnualReturn2002 (23.51%)
Annual Return 2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 39.55%
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 13.94%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 7.42%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 6.03%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 10.74%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (30.41%)
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 27.29%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 31.28%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 0.98%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel highest quarterly return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 18.40%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel lowest quarterly return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (21.25%)
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.98%
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.40%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 6.06%
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Class N | Return After Taxes on Distributions
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 0.12%
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.67%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.45%
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Class N | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 1.80%
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.55%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.21%
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading

SUMMARY – NICHOLAS LIMITED EDITION, INC.
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

     The Fund strives to increase the value of your investment over the long-term ("long-term growth").
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

     The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

     The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 37.64% of the average value of the portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 37.64%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

 
 
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

     To pursue the Fund's investment objective of long-term growth, it primarily invests in common stocks of domestic corporations with small- and medium-sized market capitalizations believed to have growth potential. The Fund believes a company's annual sales volume and market capitalization (the number of shares outstanding multiplied by the per share price) are the factors most illustrative of a company's size. In distinguishing company size in terms of sales volume, the Fund considers a company's sales volume relative to peer companies in the company's industry. In terms of market capitalization, the Fund generally considers companies with market capitalizations up to $2 billion as "small," between $2 billion and $10 billion as "medium," and greater than $10 billion as "large." To a lesser extent, the Fund may invest in companies with large market capitalizations. The Fund looks for established companies with the potential for superior growth in sales and earnings in a diversified group of industries. The Fund's investment philosophy is basically a long-term growth philosophy, based upon the assumption that if a company achieves superior growth in sales and earnings, eventually the company's stock will achieve superior performance. It is anticipated that a major portion of the Fund's portfolio will be invested in common stocks of the types of companies, and in the manner, as described above.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading

Principal Risks of Investing
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with any mutual fund, the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its goals or that its performance will be positive over any period of time. The Fund's investments change in value. Consequently, the value of your Fund shares may change. If the value of the Fund shares or the values of the Fund's investments go down, you may lose money.

The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:

  • Market Risk – Market risk involves the possibility that the value of the Fund's investments will fluctuate as the stock market fluctuates over short- or longer-term periods. Common stock prices tend to be more volatile than other investment choices.

  • Portfolio-Specific Risk – From time to time, the value of an individual company may decline due to a particular set of circumstances affecting that company, its industry or certain companies within the industry, while having little or no impact on other similar companies within the industry. Because the Fund will invest most of its assets in the securities of small- and mid-cap companies, the Fund may face additional risks. Small- to mid-cap companies often have a limited market for their securities and limited financial resources, and are usually more affected by changes in the economy. Securities of small to medium capitalization companies also often fluctuate in price more than common stocks of larger capitalization companies

  • Selection Risk – The Fund also faces selection risk, which is the risk that the stocks the Fund purchases will underperform markets or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies.

     Since there are risks inherent in all investments in securities, there is no assurance that the Fund's objective will be achieved.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney If the value of the Fund shares or the values of the Fund's investments go down, you may lose money.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

Class N shares of the Fund were first offered for sale on February 28, 2005; therefore, the performance information shown for periods prior to February 28, 2005 represents the performance for the original share class of the Fund, the Class I shares. Nicholas Limited Edition – Class I shares were first offered for sale on May 18, 1987.

 

       The bar chart shown below provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart shows the variability of the total return of the Fund's shares for the last ten calendar years. Updated performance information for the Fund is available on our website at www.nicholasfunds.com.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart shown below provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The chart shows the variability of the total return of the Fund's shares for the last ten calendar years.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.nicholasfunds.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of its future returns
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Nicholas Limited Edition, Inc. – Class N linked to Class I
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

For the ten calendar year periods shown in the above bar chart, the highest quarterly return was 18.40% (for the quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest quarterly return was -21.25% (for the quarter ended December 31, 2008).
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock

     This next table shows how the average annual total returns for the Fund's Class I shares linked to Class N shares for the one, five and ten year periods ending on December 31, 2011 (the Fund's most recently completed calendar year), compared to the returns of broad measures of market performance and the performance average of similar mutual funds. The table also shows the average annual total returns for the Fund after taxes on distributions and after taxes on distributions and the redemption of all of your Fund shares. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of its future returns.
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.91%)
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.09%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.48%
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Russell 2000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (4.18%)
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.15%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.62%
NICHOLAS LTD EDITION INC | Morningstar Small-Cap Growth Category (reflects no deduction for taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (3.55%)
Five Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.31%
Ten Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.38%