posted on March 14, 2004 09:28:06 AM new
They're going for triple what would actually pay for them around here. I bought them when they came to our door and they were $3. a box.
Saw an article in the paper about it, so I looked them up and wow, they sell
But the question is, the parents are doing this for the kids. The point on selling them is to generate money for the GS's I thought, and I'm sure all the extra goes to them also. But isn't another thing for these girls selling them, is for THEM to do it, not their parents. Clearly these Girl Scouts are under 18.
I don't know. Doesn't seem right, but I guess ebay doesn't mind.
I was never a girl scout, nor my girls, they did the 4H thing, but I remember them having to sell things for their school fund raising events, and I would have them go to the neighbors, I did not sell anything for them.
I don't like posting auctions, but here's the article from my paper
posted on March 14, 2004 10:03:43 AM new
Hmmm. They're $4 a box here in the CA mountains.
Just saw a news clip about this "problem." Seems to me if a Girl Scout and her parent want to sell them on Ebay, they're learning good skills in that way, right? My only concern would be whether the box of cookies would come through the mail with the cookies still intact--or would there be a box of crumbs?
And I suppose they'd have to go via priority mail, right? $3.85 more. . . .
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
posted on March 14, 2004 10:18:44 AM new
A lot of things are more expensive in CA. I did buy 2 boxes of them, when they actually came to our door.
But they are everywhere! Yesterday, I am at the ATM machine, and they were 4 feet away from the machine trying to sell them. They are in the Fred Meyer lobby ( a big food/dept store up here) and it looks like they are selling good that way
The ones I found, were going over the actual amount they would normally charge, the highest one I last looked at was 12 boxes of Samaoa (sp?) cookies, the current bid 1/2 hr go was $101. I'm figuring thats 3 times the amount they sell for here, and they wanted $8.95 shipping, but I guess the shipping was right.
Yeah I would wonder if they would all crumble too
Twelvepole, I'm with you, they need to do this 'marketing' like its always been done.
Roadsmith, yes computer selling is a good tool, but its their parents doing all the work.They would have to be, you need to be over 18, and able to pack (so hopefully they wouldn't all break) etc.
But most all kids are learning computer skills in school at an early age anyway.
Like the article said.... one woman said, next year, when it comes time to sell them, the daughter will just want me to do it all on ebay.
__________________________________
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
posted on March 14, 2004 10:20:36 AM new
we dont get boyscout or girlscout,but my neighbor kids peddle cookie dough,pizza,two for one dinner card etc for 10-12 dollars.
i looked at the sign up sheet,not too many people buy,look like it is always the same people buying from each other's kid.
do any of you have the same situation?is 10-12 dollars too much for a household??
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 14, 2004 10:43:56 AM new
Some Girl Scout parent will come along soon, I'm sure, but unless things have changed in the last couple of years, local Girl Scouts are under a lot of pressure to sell, sell, sell. The money (at least the vast majority of it) goes to the national organization. The girls themselves get cheezy prizes. Parents sell the cookies because the kids want the premiums.
As far as I can tell, the girls aren't learning marketing; they're learning what it's like to work for a big corporate franchise. They can only get their merchandise from one source. I don't know what would happen if a GS troop sold other types of cookies along with the official ones (and kept the profits!) but I'd guess they would get their certification yanked by the powers that be.
When you consider that the money from the sale of GS cookies is going to pay the salaries of the adults working in the national organization, in a sense it is really child labor.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Mar 14, 2004 10:45 AM ]
posted on March 14, 2004 10:56:41 AM new
stop, I dunno, I probably would buy that stuff your talking about, we haven't had any of that kind of stuff that kids will sell around here, but I'm a sucker I do buy the GS cookies though, only because the those carmel, chocolate, coconut ones are so good
I even did one of those magazine subsriction things, man, those kids put on the pressure! I don't know about those, but I ended up subscribing, the girl was very friendly, could 'talk the talk' if she got so many points, she won a scholarship and a trip to one of the islands in the Caribbean...She was 19 but that one cost me $52 and I am kicking myself now for doing it now.
Fluffy, I don't know much about the Girl Scout Cookie thing or where the money goes (I do know I like those Samaoa ones though, too much I think ) but damn, if thats where the money is going, thats not right at all. And I'll bet the top people in the GS orginization do not mind a bit if they are selling on ebay, and for triple the price they would normally sell for!
__________________________________
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
posted on March 14, 2004 10:59:42 AM new
when the money goes to the local troops and not to pay for national bigwig salaries and advertising, i will buy them again. until then you can buy the exact same cookies for 1/3 the price, under the Sunshine label in your local cookie aisle.
posted on March 14, 2004 11:03:25 AM new
i will have to get back to you about what the girl scouts get. I know the local troup gets a percentage and also the troup gets a percentage. My daughter is a brownie leader and it seems like they are doing a lot of free things. She and another leader with their girls sold cookies outside of a grocery store yesterday. 31 degrees. They did rather well. But when I find out what they get I will report it. Cookies here are $3.00 a box.
What I want to know the people selling cookies on eBay do they give the whole amount to the girlscouts or keep what is over and above the box price?
posted on March 14, 2004 11:03:54 AM new
::Twelvepole, I'm with you, they need to do this 'marketing' like its always been done. ::
Why? Door to door sales is over. I think that it's also safe to say that it can be dangerous - do we really want bands of 10 and 12 year girls knockling on strangers doors? Aren't we teaching kids now not to talk to strangers, now we are insisting that they abandon methods that take safety and modern marketing techniques into mind and insisting that they put themselves in front of a few dozen strange homes a day for a month just because someone thinks that the old ways are the best?
David Westerfield was a normal looking guy in a nice house in an affluent area. Definately one judged safe by all neighboring girl scouts. Then he kidnapped his next door neighbors daughter, raped and murdered her shortly after getting his delivery of girl scout cookies.
Yeah... you are right... who needs the internet ... lets send them all door to door.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 14, 2004 11:07:35 AM new
Fenix, when they came to my house, their parents were with them. When they were by the ATM machine there were 2 or more adults with them, everywhere they are selling these, I've always seen adults with them.
__________________________________
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
posted on March 14, 2004 11:24:52 AM new
Near - whenn Danielle Van Dam delivered the cookies, her mom was with her too. He kidnapped her from her home later. I'm just saying that if these girls are enterprising enough to find a new way of marketing their product and expanding their market to people beyong their geographical area then why limit them to traditional and potentially dangerous methods?
Of course incidents like the Van Dam case are rare but if there are other outlets available, why not explore them. They seem to be sucessful.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 14, 2004 11:40:34 AM new
Fenix, I agree, that is tragic.
But selling them on eBay ( or mom doing it) does not teach work ethics. I thought that the GS's were promoting building strong people, people that will be confident later in life etc.
I still do not believe that having mom doing it for them is teaching them anything.
'Oh got the money PayPal or the check came in the mail, my part is done'
I don't think that is the idea the GS's had in mind when they have their GS cookie drive.
IMHO
__________________________________
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
posted on March 14, 2004 11:45:43 AM new
Gee fenix how dreadful a little girl was not killed going door to door but by some sick bastard going to her HOME...
Most people selling on eBay do not have PO boxes for payment adresses... so how many more sick bastards would have home addresses?
posted on March 14, 2004 12:20:28 PM new
Twelve - the first time he came into contact with her was at his door- since she happened to live in close proximity she was easy access. How many stranger abductions do you know of that start from hundreds of miles away?
Near - Even better - it teaches ingenuity and thinking outside the box in order to excel against your competition. The trick to success in this world is working smarter, not harder. If these girls are supposed to be learning how to succeed in the future, why should they be limited to sales techniques of the past? Used to be that if you wanted to make a living selling you needed a brick and mortar storefront. You wanted to get rid of the junk in the garage - you had to organize a garage sale. You have advanced- why can't they?
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 14, 2004 12:43:31 PM new
I am the Cookie Mom for my daughter's troop this year.
This time last weekend my living room was floor to ceiling cases of cookies.
The price of the cookies is dictated by the local council. Our boxes sell for $4 each. Fifty five cents from each box goes to the troop. Fifty cents goes to the local G.S. camp that needs serious updating (flushing toilets & a major pool repair).
We were specifically told that cookies cannot be sold on the internet. I asked.
Most of the cookies were sold by the parents to their co-workers. The girls are not allowed to sell without their parents with them.
We are having a 'booth sale' at our church next weekend to supplement our sales & earn more money for our troop to use for the girls.
posted on March 14, 2004 01:08:37 PM new
Quite frankly, considering the prices the boxes are going for, I would not be surprised if many of the auctions are from ebay vets that are buying from the GS and reselling on ebay....
Gotta run... need to find a Girl Scout.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 14, 2004 01:38:58 PM new
I saw them at a community college flea market yesterday in the Bay Area. It was $3.50 per box. I guess people could say " I bought mine on ebay ".
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on March 14, 2004 02:51:33 PM new
I bought GS cookies on ebay a year ago from an enterprising young lady - Yes, her mom did up the listing formalities, but the girl scout worked it up and separated orders and worked with their parent and helped all the way along. That is pretty much how it is with the orders they got thru their neighborhood too! i'm sure in 95 or better percent of 'normal' neighborhood sales, the mom and/or dads are "helping out" with the sales drive, and the girl scouts and brownies "help" too, to the best of their abilities ...
posted on March 14, 2004 03:51:13 PM new
This is somewhat interesting as both of my daughters are girl scouts. One of the things that we had to sign is that we would not sell them online over the internet. Pretty clear that simply didn't happen.
The prices of cookies will vary from $2.50 per box all the way to $5.00 per box depending upon what part fo the country they are being sold. The troup will receive 55 cents per box sold. The rest will get split a few different ways including to pay for the company that actually made the cookies, the local districts of the girl scouts and the national organization.
Another thing that is interesting is to see how many different cookies there are. Now that I have looked on ebay, I see many different types that weren't offered in our area. I know that there was different cookies here in Minnesota depending upon if you were a member of the St. Paul or Minneapolis councils.
posted on March 14, 2004 04:28:48 PM new
In Kentucky they are selling for $3.50 a box. We have two groups selling at the Flea Market this weekend. Nether one did that great.
posted on March 28, 2004 10:19:12 AM new
My thought on this is that I prefer to buy my cookies from someone I know who is a mother of a GScout. But if I didn't know anyone, I'd probably just catch them when they are set up in front of a local grocer or something.
I would encourage everyone to follow the policy of their local troops/councils on it, (since it sounds like some go out of their way to explicitly prohibit internet sales), but if there is nothing against it, and as stated above, the scout did help mom or dad with listing, packing, etc. then I think it's an okay idea.
Personally I would not want to buy this type of thing on eBay, but then I am not much for auctions on food items. I do buy food online, but generally only at fixed prices, and from websites of established companies.
I had a woman just try to hit me for that magazine thing recently, claiming it was her money to go to college on. But I always buy subscriptions online when I can find sales/coupon codes, with turns out to be much, much cheaper. (Often it is 10-20 percent of the regular rate per magazine.)
Yahoo ID: grantje
I do buy the GS cookies though, only because the those carmel, chocolate, coconut ones are so good 