Jenny's Crayon Collection: Fluorescent

The Crayola fluorescent markers came out in 1990 with the rerelease of the fluorescent crayons. The crayons had been around for years, but this is the first year the markers came out (I think because of the -200 code number). I found the 1998 box of Crayola Fluorescent markers surprisingly this year at a teacher supply store. I was shocked. The box is from 1998 and it still works! I had to pick them up even though they were a lot more money than a normal 6 pack of markers. I have always been partial to bright colors.

It is interesting to note that the 1990 markers are washable whereas the 1998 markers are not washable. I wonder why Crayola changed this detail for the two markers. The names in both boxes are the same. I wonder if they made two lines of fluorescent markers washable and washable for years. The style number 58-7848 belongs to the washable fluorescent markers and the 58-7748 belongs to the non washable fluorescent markers.

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Pictures for markers on the right provide by Stacey Hodges
Click here to find on Amazon.

The code number is not on the back of these boxes, but on the inside flap on top. I forgot about it when I was taking the picture and will get a picture soon. This is one my oldest box of markers, even though I bought it only this year. I am sad there is not a good website to find information on Crayola marker history. Hopefully with time and with people sharing their photos, the story of the Crayola marker can come together more.

The Hot Fluorescent 16 count crayon box was probably one of my first boxes of crayons when I was young. As with many boxes from my youth these crayons were magical in my mind. I loved them so much that I lost most of them and the box was destroyed. Luckily I found some more on eBay recently. The crayons are very bright and sometimes hard to see in the light, but they are magical. They are super bright. For this reason Crayola included a black crayon to outline the the colors. It was not the first time these crayons were introduced. This 1990's box was a major change from previous versions of Crayola Fluorescent crayons from the 1970's. The wrappers were changed, colors were renamed and added. Many of the crayons names are around today and included in the higher count crayon boxes. They have been renamed Neon crayons. (Thanks Ed Welter for all the information on these crayons)

I also have recently collected one of the original boxes from the 1970's. These have the name Fluorescent on every crayon wrapper and some very fun names that have been retired. The box specifies that they glow in black light. It is interesting to note on this box there is a style number, but no code number. There is a 2240 number after the style number. They also say 8F crayons. I wonder if Crayola used the same style number for the 8 count boxes at the time, but differentiated these ones with the F.

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