Katiebug_1976 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Ok, so we have always used the cheap colored pencils in the past (splurging sometimes on Crayola). So, this year I actually have a few $$ saved up for supplies and thought I would buy some better colored pencils for my kids to use. Prismacolor seems to be one that is highly recommended here, but I about choked when I saw the price! Even on dickblick.com they are much more expensive that I imagined. So, tell me why they are so much better than the cheaper brands. Are they really worth it? I'm just not sure I can go that far...I mean, I can buy quite a few boxes of cheap pencils for the cost of 1 box of Prismacolor. So tell me why they are so great and need to be so expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 'Cause they are awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Well if you're HAPPY with your current colored pencils, far be it from me to tell you to be discontent, lol. I was never happy with regulars, and the prismacolor hit the spot. Soft, supple, lots of gorgeous coors that lay down well. They come in watercolor and regular. Last well (unless you drop them, I didn't say durable). As far as the price, use your Hobby Lobby or Michael's coupon. There's no reason to buy them at full price when you can get them 1/2 off quite easily. And at half off, they're a little easier to fall in love with, eh? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) You can buy 24 for $10 at buy.com. They aren't in the pretty tin, but are sold bulk in a simple plastic bag. If you go this route make sure to buy a metal pencil sharpener (sold at any art store and most major craft stores like Michael's0. Don't use a cheap sharpener or and electric. It can break the lead off inside the pencil and lead to waste. The benefits.... Vibrancy, easy of coloring, creamy texture, blendability. Edited June 25, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emubird Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Because you can actually see the colors on the page. They're really wonderful if you have an artist. If you're just looking for cheap colored pencils for young kids, I wouldn't bother. Last time I bought these pencils they were cheaper at this place than Dick Blick: http://www.nwgraphic.com/art/art.php But they helpfully don't provide their prices in their catalog. I guess you'd have to contact them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 You can buy 24 for $10 at buy.com. They aren't in the pretty tin, but are sold bulk in a simple plastic bag. If you go this route make sure to buy a metal pencil sharpener (sold at any art store and most major craft stores like Michael's. Don't use a cheap sharpener or and electric. It can break the lead off inside the pencil and lead to waste. The benefits.... Vibrancy, easy of coloring, creamy texture, blendability. Oooh, thanks for that link! They really are THAT much better and worth it. My girls are hooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 You can buy 24 for $10 at buy.com. They aren't in the pretty tin, but are sold bulk in a simple plastic bag. If you go this route make sure to buy a metal pencil sharpener (sold at any art store and most major craft stores like Michael's. Don't use a cheap sharpener or and electric. It can break the lead off inside the pencil and lead to waste. The benefits.... Vibrancy, easy of coloring, creamy texture, blendability. You made my day! I can't believe how much cheaper they are here than what I had been seeing. I can afford to try them out for $10 (and free shipping, too!!), so I just ordered 2 sets for my older girls. Thanks so much for sharing! So, now tell me about the metal pencil sharpener. We have an electric crayola monster pencil sharpener that we love for regular pencils, but I don't want to mess up the Prismacolors. So, tell me what I need...please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather R Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 For your younger kids, the Prismacolor Scholars are nice. The regular prismacolors are too soft for my 6 year old, but we love the scholars. I'm in Canada, but we found the best price at Zellers of all places. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 So, now tell me about the metal pencil sharpener. We have an electric crayola monster pencil sharpener that we love for regular pencils, but I don't want to mess up the Prismacolors. So, tell me what I need...please. You definitely want a nice sharpener, not a cheap one. We have an electric type and one of the little plastic ones you find at Walmart. Both chewed up our prismacolor pencils. I never remembered to go out and buy a special sharpener so the prismacolor pencils lost their appeal quickly. They even broke while we were coloring. I guess the cheap sharpeners messed them up inside as well. And I paid $30 for our set of 24. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Oldest ds is an artist and they're well worth it for him. He only uses a Prismcolor sharpener. The 7 y/o uses Crayola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 You definitely want a nice sharpener, not a cheap one. We have an electric type and one of the little plastic ones you find at Walmart. Both chewed up our prismacolor pencils. I never remembered to go out and buy a special sharpener so the prismacolor pencils lost their appeal quickly. They even broke while we were coloring. I guess the cheap sharpeners messed them up inside as well. And I paid $30 for our set of 24. These (below) work just fine for Prismacolors. If you want a stubbier point for a younger child, the inexpensive "General's All-Art" makes for a stubby point. http://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Double-hole-Tub-Pencil-Sharpener/dp/B001RWTZ8S/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1309029811&sr=1-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I know you've already made your purchase, but my post is for anyone else who is currently unsure if Prismacolors are for them. We had Prismacolors that we purchased based on reviews like the ones in this thread. What we discovered, though, is that we are really more marker people. We don't like the aesthetics of colored pencils and prefer the bold color of markers. For blending, we prefer paint. The Prismacolors might have been better, but the difference was lost on us. We didn't care much for any of them. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakotajm Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 As far as the price, use your Hobby Lobby or Michael's coupon. There's no reason to buy them at full price when you can get them 1/2 off quite easily. And at half off, they're a little easier to fall in love with, eh? :) I have no idea what coupon you are talking about, but I want one! Hobby Lobby is about an hour away (no Michael's). Where do I get said coupon? Lakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Another tip for those that want a step up from the cheapies but maybe aren't ready to take the plunge on Prismacolors. My kids love Faber-Castell, the colors lay down nicer and are more vibrant than crayola, but also don't cost an arm and a leg when not on sale (or if you don't have a coupon) We have regular, water color and metalics. The kids use them for everything. One thing they love is they come as a triangular shape, so they don't tend to roll off the table. I just bought 2 sets of the Prismacolors through the buy.com thing, just to satisfy my curiousity, but for now my kids are happy with Faber Castell (the red series, which many Barnes and Noble are now carrying and you can get them from Amazon) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS in LA Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 You can buy 24 for $10 at buy.com. They aren't in the pretty tin, but are sold bulk in a simple plastic bag. . Thanks for the link!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 I have no idea what coupon you are talking about, but I want one! Hobby Lobby is about an hour away (no Michael's). Where do I get said coupon?Lakota If you go to Hobbylobby.com and sign up for their weekly newsletter you will get their sales flyer and coupon emailed to you every Sunday. A lot of the time the coupon is for 40% any regular priced item. Not sure about Michaels since I don't have one of those anywhere close. One thing I did notice, though is that Hobby Lobby's price on Prismacolor's is really high (even with the coupon)! $1.88 per pencil or $199 for 132 count set! Even at 40% off that is still pretty high for me. So before you drive an hour just for pencils, you might want to look them up online and do a price check. I found the Buy.com $9.99 with free shipping to be much cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Another tip for those that want a step up from the cheapies but maybe aren't ready to take the plunge on Prismacolors. My kids love Faber-Castell, the colors lay down nicer and are more vibrant than crayola, but also don't cost an arm and a leg when not on sale (or if you don't have a coupon) We have regular, water color and metalics. The kids use them for everything. One thing they love is they come as a triangular shape, so they don't tend to roll off the table. I just bought 2 sets of the Prismacolors through the buy.com thing, just to satisfy my curiousity, but for now my kids are happy with Faber Castell (the red series, which many Barnes and Noble are now carrying and you can get them from Amazon) :iagree: Prang colored pencils are also a step up--and available quite cheaply at Rainbow Resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 You can buy 24 for $10 at buy.com. They aren't in the pretty tin, but are sold bulk in a simple plastic bag. If you go this route make sure to buy a metal pencil sharpener (sold at any art store and most major craft stores like Michael's0. Don't use a cheap sharpener or and electric. It can break the lead off inside the pencil and lead to waste. The benefits.... Vibrancy, easy of coloring, creamy texture, blendability. That's a pretty good price. But then I'd have to order a special sharpener (we have absolutely no stores around here). I've gotten Prismacolors before with just a regular sharpener and they got totally ruined. :cursing: I have a hard time even thinking of investing in those again. Do you know if that same company has a good metal sharpener that would work? You definitely want a nice sharpener, not a cheap one. We have an electric type and one of the little plastic ones you find at Walmart. Both chewed up our prismacolor pencils. I never remembered to go out and buy a special sharpener so the prismacolor pencils lost their appeal quickly. They even broke while we were coloring. I guess the cheap sharpeners messed them up inside as well. And I paid $30 for our set of 24. :iagree: Same exact thing here. I paid about $25 for a 24 pack. I don't think they came sharpened. I had a wall mount sharpener and nearly half the pencil got chewed up before making a decent point. And then they would break. I was not.happy! :banghead: There should be a warning on the box! Oldest ds is an artist and they're well worth it for him. He only uses a Prismcolor sharpener. The 7 y/o uses Crayola. There's a prismacolor sharpener at Rainbow Resource....but some of the reviews at Amazon are pretty negative (clogs easy). Another tip for those that want a step up from the cheapies but maybe aren't ready to take the plunge on Prismacolors. My kids love Faber-Castell, the colors lay down nicer and are more vibrant than crayola, but also don't cost an arm and a leg when not on sale (or if you don't have a coupon) We have regular, water color and metalics. The kids use them for everything. One thing they love is they come as a triangular shape, so they don't tend to roll off the table. I just bought 2 sets of the Prismacolors through the buy.com thing, just to satisfy my curiousity, but for now my kids are happy with Faber Castell (the red series, which many Barnes and Noble are now carrying and you can get them from Amazon) Are they this set? Or this? Do you need a special sharpener for these (you said they are triangular...so do they fit in any regular sharpener)? I'm having a really hard time thinking of trying Prismacolors again....from past bad experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Ok, now you guys are making me nervous. Do they really break that easily? I'm also concerned about the pencil sharpener issue. I'm beginning to think maybe I should have just stuck with the cheap ones...I bought these for my older girls to use (13 & 15). I wanted something that would work well for them to use with more detailed coloring (ie: Dover Human Anatomy Coloring Book & other detailed art projects). I hope I didn't just waste $20.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I don't know if this is the best price, but I've used the occassional 50% off coupon at Micheal's to get a set. These are wonderful pencils. So much better than crayola. The color goes on smooth. It's hard to describe, you really have to try them to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I have no idea what coupon you are talking about, but I want one! Hobby Lobby is about an hour away (no Michael's). Where do I get said coupon?Lakota Find Hobby Lobby's site on line, click on "See Today's In-Store Ad" It's a dark bar at the bottom of the main picture on the home page. When you click on that, you will get to the ad page, scroll down and you'll see a coupon. (There's also a place in the menu on the left, in blue, that says, "View coupon" You can just print it off on-line.) Most weeks it's 40% off, some times it will be for a specific item. Last week it was 40% on any one thing, this week it looks like it's 40% off all paper trimmers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniferlee Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 We sharpen ours with our wall mount metal sharpener just fine. And yes, they are really worth it, especially for older kids. I tried them when the kids were little, and it wasn't worth the difference at all. But now, at 13, 11 and 9, they appreciate and comment on them all the time. They also are able to take care of them better. They color with them several times a week or more. It makes a big difference in coloring enjoyment around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Are they this set? Or this? Do you need a special sharpener for these (you said they are triangular...so do they fit in any regular sharpener)? I'm having a really hard time thinking of trying Prismacolors again....from past bad experience. I bought These because my kids like the grippy things on them and these. These are the watercolor ones but we had other watercolor pencils so I haven't used them. I don't use a special sharpener for them, never had a need. I have this sharpener and it works great for both the FC color and Dixon Triconderoga triangular pencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 These (below) work just fine for Prismacolors. If you want a stubbier point for a younger child, the inexpensive "General's All-Art" makes for a stubby point. http://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Double-hole-Tub-Pencil-Sharpener/dp/B001RWTZ8S/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1309029811&sr=1-2 We have a sharpener just like this one and it works really well with our Prismacolors. Katiebug don't worry - you and your girls will love the new pencils. There is a big difference in the quality of the Prismacolors compared to the cheapie ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 We have a sharpener just like this one and it works really well with our Prismacolors. Katiebug don't worry - you and your girls will love the new pencils. There is a big difference in the quality of the Prismacolors compared to the cheapie ones! Ok, I just ordered that pencil sharpener. Thank you for putting my mind at ease, a little. I have never been very good at ordering things like this online. I always prefer to see & touch what I'm going to buy first, but thats not an option this time. Now I cant wait to get them and see how they work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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