Crayola crayons are a staple of childhood and a beloved art supply for all ages. With over 100 different colors available, Crayola has introduced and retired many shades since the first boxes were sold in 1903. But which hues have been put out to pasture over the years? Let’s take a look at the retired colors throughout Crayola’s history.
The First Retired Colors
Crayola started with just 8 crayons in 1903, expanding to 14 colors by 1905. The original colors included black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green. Over the next few decades, Crayola continued adding new crayon colors while retiring others that were not as popular.
The first colors retired were in 1935 when Crayola reduced the color palette from 16 to just 8 to standardize boxes for economic reasons during the Great Depression. The colors retired in 1935 were blue-gray, lemon yellow, green blue, orange red, orange yellow, violet blue, red orange, and yellow green.
Additional colors were retired periodically over the next 60 years. By 1990, Crayola had reached a high of 200 different crayon colors. It was around this time that the company realized the color palette had become unwieldy and some shades could be eliminated.
The 1990s Big Purge
In 1990, Crayola dramatically pared down the available crayon selection by retiring a whopping 8 colors. The colors removed from boxes in 1990 were blizzard blue, magic mint, mulberry, teal blue, thistle, burnt sienna, maize, and raw umber. This “big purge” got rid of some duplicate shades and lowered the total offering to just 152 colors.
Over the next decade, Crayola continued to retire additional colors periodically. Shades eliminated during the 1990s included brilliant rose, lemon yellow, violet red, cerulean blue, patrician blue, indigo, scarlet, cadet blue, paradise pink, carnation pink, red violet, ultra blue, tropical rain forest, vivid tangerine, dandelion, cerulean frost, and apricot.
By 1999, the standard 96-count Crayola box contained just 73 crayon colors, a much more manageable number for consumers.
The 2000s Digital Age
In the early 2000s, Crayola introduced new specialty themed boxes like Metallic FX, Pearl Brite, and more. These specialty colors would get added and retired more frequently than core crayon colors. Some shades retired in the 2000s included blizzard blue, magic mint, pine green, inchworm, asparagus, laser lemon, wild strawberry, vivid tangerine, lavender blue, fuchsia rose, pink flamingo, jungle green, cerulean blue, denim blue, blizzard blue, and shocking pink.
Crayola also retired colors voted out by consumers as part of color contests or special edition boxes. For example, in 2003, purple mountains’ majesty and timberwolf were retired and replaced with mystic purple and starry night blue. In 2009, voters chose to bring back purple mountains’ majesty and retire magic mint permanently.
Current Colors
As of 2023, there are currently 120 standard Crayola crayon colors plus additional retired, specialty, and custom color options. While new crayons get introduced periodically, colors also get removed from production.
Some recently retired shades since 2010 include chestnut, orange yellow, green blue, blue gray, lemon yellow, orange red, violet blue, red violet, blue green, royal purple, blizzard blue, teal blue,dandelion, feathered friends, pig pink, razzmatazz, screwball green, shocking pink, tropical rain forest, tumbled glass, purple pizzazz, mountain meadow, razzmic berry, wild watermelon, screamin’ green, laser lemon, outrageous orange, neons, liberty, jazzberry jam, rad red, vivid violet, wild watermelon, razzle dazzle rose, googly eyes, and groovy grape.
| Decade | Retired Colors |
|---|---|
| 1930s | Blue gray, Lemon yellow, Green blue, Orange red, Orange yellow, Violet blue, Red orange, Yellow green |
| 1990s | Blizzard blue, Magic mint, Mulberry, Teal blue, Thistle, Burnt sienna, Maize, Raw umber, Brilliant rose, Lemon yellow, Violet red, Cerulean blue, Patrician blue, Indigo, Scarlet, Cadet blue, Paradise pink, Carnation pink, Red violet, Ultra blue, Tropical rain forest, Vivid tangerine, Dandelion, Cerulean frost, Apricot |
| 2000s | Blizzard blue, Magic mint, Pine green, Inchworm, Asparagus, Laser lemon, Wild strawberry, Vivid tangerine, Lavender blue, Fuchsia rose, Pink flamingo, Jungle green, Cerulean blue, Denim blue, Blizzard blue, Shocking pink |
| 2010s | Chestnut, Orange yellow, Green blue, Blue gray, Lemon yellow, Orange red, Violet blue, Red violet, Blue green, Royal purple, Blizzard blue, Teal blue, Dandelion, Feathered friends, Pig pink, Razzmatazz, Screwball green, Shocking pink, Tropical rain forest, Tumbled glass, Purple pizzazz, Mountain meadow, Razzmic berry, Wild watermelon, Screamin’ green, Laser lemon, Outrageous orange, Neons, Liberty, Jazzberry jam, Rad red, Vivid violet, Wild watermelon, Razzle dazzle rose, Googly eyes, Groovy grape |
Why Did Crayola Retire Colors?
There were a few key reasons why Crayola periodically retired some crayon colors:
- Duplicate shades – Over time, Crayola introduced crayons that were very similar to existing colors. Retiring duplicate shades helped simplify the color palette.
- Slow sellers – Colors that didn’t sell very well would get discontinued to focus on more popular shades.
- Consumer feedback – Crayola would sometimes let consumers vote on retiring and introducing new crayon colors.
- Marketing promotions – Special edition crayon packs might introduce unique shades that would later get retired.
- Quality improvements – New pigment technology allowed Crayola to replace some colors with improved formulations.
- Chemical safety – Older pigments were discontinued in favor of safer alternatives without hazardous chemicals.
By periodically retiring colors, Crayola could introduce new innovations while keeping its signature box size under 100 colors for a fun, creative experience.
The Future of Crayola Crayon Colors
Crayola continues to innovate with new crayon technologies, like erasable or washable markers. Special edition themes bring new colors on a rolling basis, meaning retired shades will likely grow in the future. Crayola may also let consumers vote on eliminating existing colors to make room for new favorites.
While nostalgia for retired colors persists, Crayola’s strategy allows the brand to stay fresh and exciting for each new generation. The 65+ year history of the iconic crayon box makes one thing clear: Crayola’s commitment to quality, innovation and consumer satisfaction will likely delight children of all ages for decades to come.
