Yikes! Pencils were some of the most popular school supplies to hit the stores in the 1990s. Unlike boring and bland yellow pencils, Yikes! Pencils were crafted in an exciting and creative way. They came in odd shapes and sizes, featured insane and colorful patterns, and were fitted with bright rubber erasers.
When they came out in 1993, they were originally marketed toward girls. However, because they caught on so quickly and with such huge success, Yikes! Pencils expanded their line to include boys. Not only that, but they bolstered their pencil line with all sorts of colorful and wacky rulers, pencil sharpeners, and pencil cases. They really picked up in popularity when Nickelodeon, one of the premier television networks for kids at that time, began to endorse them. Commercials for Yikes! Pencils ran between Nickelodeon shows and received a big boost in sales because of it.
Yikes! Pencils’ success was short-lived. By 1996, they disappeared from the market, although it is unclear why. Perhaps the brash colors and wacky designs were no longer considered cool by the incoming millennial generation. Either way, Yikes! Pencils are considered a rarity these days, with many pencil collectors desperate to get their hands on them. Even though they are no longer popular, they will always be remembered as a symbol for what it was like to be growing up in the 90s.
via woodclinched.com