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Reference Desk
Which markers smell like fruit? Mr. Sketch, since 1965
The fat chisel-tip classroom markers that smell of cherry, banana, mint and blueberry are Mr. Sketch, introduced in 1965 by Sanford and now made by Newell Brands. The scent is in the water-based ink, not a coating, which is why an old marker that has dried out still smells when you re-wet the tip.
In the four-colour set the mapping is fixed: red is cherry, yellow is banana, green is mint and blue is blueberry. Larger sets add orange, apple, fruit punch, peach, blue-raspberry slushy and cotton candy.
The colour-to-scent map
| Colour | Scent | Set it appears in |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Cherry | 4, 8, 12, 18 |
| Yellow | Banana | 4, 8, 12, 18 |
| Green | Mint | 4, 8, 12, 18 |
| Blue | Blueberry | 4, 8, 12, 18 |
| Orange | Orange | 12, 18 |
| Dark green | Apple | 12, 18 |
| Turquoise | Fruit punch | 12, 18 |
| Peach | Peach | 18 |
| Light blue | Blue raspberry slushy | 18 |
| Lavender | Cotton candy | 18 |
That table is the reason people misremember the set. Nearly everyone recalls grape; grape is not in the standard assortment, and the purple marker in an 18-set is cotton candy. If your memory insists on grape, you are probably remembering a scratch-and-sniff sticker, not a marker.
How to tell Mr. Sketch from the imitators
- Barrel shape. The classic is a fat cylinder with a chisel nib and a colour-matched cap; the thin ones are the Scented Stix sub-line, also Mr. Sketch, sold in 10-packs.
- Ink type. Water-based watercolour ink, which is why it bleeds through cheap paper and washes out of most fabric. A solvent smell means it is not a Mr. Sketch.
- The name on the barrel. Sanford on older stock, Newell on newer. The 1965 launch date belongs to Sanford Manufacturing.
What a set costs today
| Set | Retailer | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Sketch Stix Markers - Set of 10 | Blick Art Materials | $4.39 |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Marker Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 8 | Blick Art Materials | $5.39 |
| Mr. Sketch Mr. Sketch Scented Markers 8 ea | Woot! | $6.85 out of stock 30 September |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Stix Watercolor Markers - Fine Point - 10 Pack | Global Equipment Company | $7.50 |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Markers, Chisel Point, Assorted Colors, Pack Of 6 | Office Depot and OfficeMax | $7.69 |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Markers | Woot! | $7.99 out of stock 30 September |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Markers, Chisel Tip, | Woot! | $8.99 out of stock 30 September |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Marker Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 12 | Blick Art Materials | $9.95 |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Watercolor Marker - Chisel Tip - 8 Colors - 8 Pack | Global Equipment Company | $9.70 |
| Mr. Sketch Scented Markers, Assorted Colors, Set Of 8 | Office Depot and OfficeMax | $10.49 |
Last verified 30 September 2026: 10 listed offers re-checked by exact link against the CJ product feed (US advertisers) — 7 unchanged, 1 repriced to what a shopper pays today, 2 shown as of 2 September 2026 (one no longer returned by the feed, one returned with a sale price above its list price, which is not a price we can stand behind). 3 of the listings found were out of stock on 30 September 2026 and are marked. In the 2 September 2026 pull, across 50 live US listings, the cheapest was $4.39 and the median $18.36. Prices move; read them as the market on that date, not a promise. Peer-to-peer marketplace asks of $500 or more are excluded as seller placeholders, as are repdigit asks such as $1,234 and $9,999 wherever they appear; retailer prices are used as published.
Buying note we would sign: the median of $18.36 is inflated by classroom bulk cartons. A single 8-marker set is a $4.39–$11.99 item at every retailer we checked, and paying more than that only makes sense if you want the 22-colour box.
Frequently asked
When did Mr. Sketch markers come out?
1965, from Sanford Manufacturing. The brand belongs to Newell Brands today.
What scent is the purple Mr. Sketch marker?
In the 18-colour set the lavender marker is cotton candy. Grape is not part of the standard Mr. Sketch assortment.
Are Mr. Sketch markers still scented?
Yes. Scented sets were on sale new at art, office and craft retailers on 31 August 2026 from $4.39.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Mr. Sketch — 1965 launch, Sanford and Newell ownership, and the colour-to-scent tables
- CJ Affiliate product feeds, US advertisers, queried 31 August 2026
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