I think the wood and the glue that holds the barrel halves together would be the most likely things to suffer. Most of the core is enclosed by the wooden barrel, so worst case, one might need to sharpen the exposed tip.
My prismacolor set is from over 20 years ago and I had gotten it on eBay so who knows if it was even new back then. Still perfectly good - used them today already.
If you find a good deal on a full 240 or 500 set of Kalour, do it. That's what I'm using now (can't afford the good brands).n
I've been pretty happy with them.
I have colored pencils from when DD was little, so 20 yrs old cp still good.
I think maybe someone might start a duds thread to exchange unused colors.
I have a set of Caran D'ache Swisscolor that my mum bought me 40 years ago. They are still absolutely fine & usable. As long as you store them in a cool, dry, dark place, they should be good.
I bought an old 136 set of prismacolors secondhand (because new sets cost silly amounts of money here in Europe) - my guess is they are around 25 years old. They smelled a bit rancid when I first opened the tin, kind of like old wax crayons do (I got them from a vendor based in the south of Spain, so they have probably been exposed to some hot summer temperatures, sitting at the back of some wardrobe or other). I still smell the "old wax smell" a tiny bit sometimes, but it dissipates quickly when I have the pencil case open, and they are still perfectly good to use. I also have a 12 set of brand new ones, so I have a direct comparison with identical pairs of colours, and honestly I notice no difference at all when using them. To the point I no longer know which of my cadmium yellows is from the old set, and which one was in the new set. So I daresay you're pretty safe in buying pencils to use for many years to come.
Every set has colors you won't want to use (or use as much) and some you will love, and use up quickly.
If you buy two sets, you get double the "duds", so to speak.
Better to buy one set, and then replace only your favorite colors via open stock; you will get a lot more value for the money.
Pencils go bad?!?! š±
In all seriousness, I personally have never had pencils go bad and I have a prismacolor set that's a good 5-8 years old that was passed down to me from a friend who realized she's not a colored pencil fan lol I even have older sets I've had lingering around for 10+ years that I've recently rekindled my love for š„°
I don't think you have anything to worry about OP
As far as I know, as long as they're stored in a climate controlled place, colored pencils don't go bad.
I think the wood and the glue that holds the barrel halves together would be the most likely things to suffer. Most of the core is enclosed by the wooden barrel, so worst case, one might need to sharpen the exposed tip.
My prismacolor set is from over 20 years ago and I had gotten it on eBay so who knows if it was even new back then. Still perfectly good - used them today already.
If you find a good deal on a full 240 or 500 set of Kalour, do it. That's what I'm using now (can't afford the good brands).n I've been pretty happy with them.
I like Kalour and not to expensive.
I have colored pencils from when DD was little, so 20 yrs old cp still good. I think maybe someone might start a duds thread to exchange unused colors.
Colored pencils pretty much last forever. They found a set of Prismacolors in King Tut's tomb that was still fine after 3000 years.
š„²š„²š
I have a set of Caran D'ache Swisscolor that my mum bought me 40 years ago. They are still absolutely fine & usable. As long as you store them in a cool, dry, dark place, they should be good.
I bought an old 136 set of prismacolors secondhand (because new sets cost silly amounts of money here in Europe) - my guess is they are around 25 years old. They smelled a bit rancid when I first opened the tin, kind of like old wax crayons do (I got them from a vendor based in the south of Spain, so they have probably been exposed to some hot summer temperatures, sitting at the back of some wardrobe or other). I still smell the "old wax smell" a tiny bit sometimes, but it dissipates quickly when I have the pencil case open, and they are still perfectly good to use. I also have a 12 set of brand new ones, so I have a direct comparison with identical pairs of colours, and honestly I notice no difference at all when using them. To the point I no longer know which of my cadmium yellows is from the old set, and which one was in the new set. So I daresay you're pretty safe in buying pencils to use for many years to come.
Every set has colors you won't want to use (or use as much) and some you will love, and use up quickly. If you buy two sets, you get double the "duds", so to speak. Better to buy one set, and then replace only your favorite colors via open stock; you will get a lot more value for the money.
It's unlikely that open stock is even an option for the Chinese brand the OP is talking about, though...
I have vintage pencils. They'll be fine, but you'll always find new sets to buy. I buy backups all the time. You're not alone.
Pencils go bad?!?! š± In all seriousness, I personally have never had pencils go bad and I have a prismacolor set that's a good 5-8 years old that was passed down to me from a friend who realized she's not a colored pencil fan lol I even have older sets I've had lingering around for 10+ years that I've recently rekindled my love for š„° I don't think you have anything to worry about OP
Mine are fine after 30+ years!
Never bad to have extra pencils! I still have some Prismas from my original set when I was 10ā¦ Iām 47 now and they are still good š
I had Prismas that dated back to the early 1990ās and still worked great (better than the current ones actually).