Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I remember when I was selling those cookies in the 80's they were expensive. I can't imagine what they go for now.

Remember back when those GS cookies were soooo.. good, and mom had to hide the from us so we wouldn't eat them all in at one sitting. Well the sad truth is this: The Girl Scout Cookies are made in one of two or three bakeries in the USA. The region of the country in which you live decides which company your cookies come from. The worst part is that the troops in all the various service units in the USA sell cookies as a fund raiser which allows the troops to participate in various activities sponsored by their service units. Regardless of how much the cookies cost at the sale, and every year the cost goes up and the portions go down.... the troop only makes $ .50 cents per box. so even though you may have spent $50 for 10 boxes those girls sat out in the freezing cold and only made $5 dollars for their troop. The service units do not make any money at all... and the cookie company runs to the bank...So the next time the scouts come knocking on your door or see you in front of the Wal-mart... Do what I do.... Buy a box or 2 of the cookies, and give them the rest of the fifty dollars as a donation... You might even make a troop leader shed tears of joy... oh... and please, please, please... if you have to order cookies in advance, make sure that you pick them up, because the service unit cookie personnel cannot take surplus boxes back. the troop gets stuck with them...and remember they only get fifty cents for each box sold, so do the math... they end up getting cheated out of all their hard work

Zchef is right on all counts.

BTW, the price of GS cookies (and the profit percentage) is still WAY better than the stuff my kids are expected to sell for their school. At least I can buy 3 boxes of GS cookies for $9 from my receptionist's granddaughter, and my husband can buy some from some other kid, and we spread the support without breaking the bank. The last time my kids brought a fundraiser home, there wasn't a single item (operative word, SINGLE) for under $14.99. So the minimum I can spend - since I can't just buy from one of my kids - is $30. Last I heard the school only gets 10%. I asked if I could just write a check to the school, and the office staff got REALLY confused. =P

Prices appear to vary, yeah. I got stung for $4 a box, although I saw $3.50 on eBay, so I assume it was a local attempt to retain more money.. I really DO hate that the troop sees so little but as a former Girl Scout who did her share of cookie-pushing, I always feel like I gotta. I spend years sending mom and dad to work with order forms (you have to be MY age to remember that) and I still love Thin Mints and tend to buy the "heftier" ones, not the 8-to-a-box versions. (I liked the tea cookies, am trying the "dulche de leche" this year).

I try to buy at least some from "real" Scouts, not just the parents It might be agony talking to adults from behind a card table, but I like to at least TRY to get them to make eye contact (easier now that i'm shorter, using a wheelchair).