When Crayola Retired 8 Colors, Adults Showed Up With Picket Signs

Imagine walking out to your driveway on a crisp autumn morning, holding a homemade protest sign that reads 'Save Maize.' You are not fighting for agricultural reform or local farming subsidies. You are defending a small stick of yellowish-orange wax.

That was the reality in 1990, when the Binney and Smith Company—the folks who introduced the world to the original eight-pack of Crayola crayons back in 1903—decided it was time to modernize their palette. Over the past 123 years, Crayola has retired a grand total of just 13 colors. But every single time a shade gets the ax, grown adults respond with the kind of theatrical passion usually reserved for sports rivalries.

The Great Wax Revolt of 1990

When Crayola announced its very first retirement wave in 1990, eight classic shades—including Maize, Raw Umber, Lemon Yellow, and Violet Blue—were officially ushering into the Crayola Hall of Fame to make room for vibrant new hues. Crayola assumed fans would smile fondly at the memories and quietly move on.

They assumed wrong.

Advocacy groups quickly formed, the most famous being RUMPS: the Raw Umber and Maize Preservation Society. Discontented color enthusiasts picketed outside Crayola headquarters in Easton, Pennsylvania, carrying signs and chanting in defense of earthy tones. Crayola eventually released a limited-edition commemorative tin featuring the retired eight, which sold out almost immediately.

The Battle to Save Burnt Sienna

Fast forward to 2003. To celebrate Crayola's 100th anniversary, the company announced that five more colors were on the chopping block. However, they allowed the public to vote through a 'Save the Shade' campaign to keep just one alive.

What followed was a fierce voting push. Fans rallied online, begging friends and strangers to support their favorite warm brown shade. When the final votes were tallied, Burnt Sienna narrowly escaped extinction, leaving the remaining four shades to walk quietly into retirement.

A Rockstar Farewell for Dandelion

By 2017, Crayola had fully leaned into the drama of color retirement. On National Crayon Day, they announced that Dandelion was stepping down to make way for a new blue shade named Bluetiful. But rather than slipping away unnoticed, Dandelion was sent on an official, jet-setting retirement tour, complete with photo ops at major landmarks like a famous musician hanging up their guitar. (Though crayon lovers get the last laugh: Dandelion is scheduled for a grand comeback in early 2026.)

The Otterly Interesting Part

Why do grown adults get so attached to wax sticks? Crayons are one of our strongest sensory links to early childhood. The distinct smell of a fresh box paired with specific shade names instantly transports us back to kindergarten art class. When a color is retired, it feels like a tiny piece of our childhood memories is being archived.

So the next time you hear someone getting heated about a shade of yellow or brown, go easy on them. They aren't just defending a pigment—they're holding on to a little piece of nostalgia.

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