Earlier this year, we shared the news that Crayola is bringing back some of its most popular retired colors. You can get the retired colors in limited-edition crayon packs, marker sets and colored pencils, now. We don't know how long they'll be around for, so if you've been missing your favorites over the past 30 years, we recommend grabbing them now before they end up reselling for more on eBay.
The returning colors are:
- Orange Red, retired in 1990
- Violet Blue, retired in 1990
- Lemon Yellow, retired in 1990
- Raw Umber, retired in 1990
- Blizzard Blue, retired in 2003
- Magic Mint, retired in 2003
- Mulberry, retired in 2003
- Dandelion, retired in 2017
We spoke to Victoria Lozano, Chief Marketing Officer at Crayola, who says this comeback was a response to the public's requests for the return of retired colors. There's the most buzz around Dandelion, but she says Blizzard Blue and Raw Umber are also popular options.
This limited-edition collection marks the first time in the company's 122-year history that they've brought a retired crayon back. Crayola will be releasing more limited-edition collectibles later this year, but after that, these eight colors will return to retirement indefinitely. Lozano says there are no current plans to bring back any other colors.
Parents also have a good reason to snap up the packs for their kids, even if they don't remember the colors before they were retired. According to a recent survey conducted by Crayola and Ad Council Research Institute, nine in 10 parents believe that color has a significant impact on creativity and is vital to their child’s development. The study also reports that 96% of parents encourage their kids to bring their imagination to life with color — dandelion or otherwise.
Crayola Limited Edition Colors Colored Pencils
Crayola Limited Edition Colors Broad Line Markers
Crayola 32ct Limited Edition Crayons
In honor of their return, Crayola hosted a one-day public event for International Color Day in New York City on March 21, where they celebrated the journey that each of these eight colors has been on since they retired. Each color traveled and explored some new passions, with one color representing each continent.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Angel Madison is a commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, writing for brands like Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, House Beautiful, Oprah Daily, Men’s Health, and Women's Health. She’s been testing products for several years and is an expert at scouting deals and finding the perfect gifts. Angel covers many topics, but she specializes in plus-size fashion, Lego, trending products, toys, parenting, fitness, home, and tech. She has previously worked in parenting and entertainment and has vast knowledge in the teen, pop culture, and kid spaces.
