Although new and unused, this item has been stored at home for a long time. All the lead is black. I'm selling this because I passed my first-choice school last year and would like to pass it on to the next person. The pencils themselves appear to be undamaged to the untrained eye, but there are traces of cellophane tape on the packaging. Please understand that this is due to home storage. Please refrain from purchasing if you are overly concerned about minor details.