The cookies have since become so sought after that boxes of them have surfaced on eBay. Boxes that would typically cost $5 or $6 are listed for $20 to $30, a development the Girl Scouts said it was “disappointed to see.”
“While we are pleased that there is such high demand for our cookies year over year, we are saddened that platforms and vendors are disregarding the core mission of the cookie program and seeking to profit from the name without supporting our mission and the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program in the world,” the organization said in a statement.
On Monday, an eBay spokesperson said that while the company supports “the entrepreneurial spirit of hard-working local Girl Scout troops” and encourages “cookie seekers to also support their local Girl Scouts”, the listings do not do not violate its policies.
Around January, Girl Scouts across the United States begin selling Cookies, an annual program designed to help participants learn “qualities crucial for all forms of leadership.”
This year, the Raspberry Rally flavor was sold exclusively online in an effort to expand the “online sales and entrepreneurial skills” of local chapters, the Girl Scouts said in an August press release.
The idea for the new flavor came after the organization considered what fans would like and realized a berry flavor could be their next hit, Chief Revenue Officer Wendy Lou told NPR in August. Her name also aligns with the Girl Scouts slogan this year – “Ready, set, rally!”
In the months leading up to the release of Raspberry Rally, cookie reviews only heightened anticipation. A review of the “Today” show called them “delicious berries”. BuzzFeed joked, “You know it’s a good cookie if you can’t have just one.” And the Takeout advised Girl Scout cookie fans, “You’ll definitely want to add this to your order.”
Many did just that on the release date.
Throughout the day, Girl Scouts chapters across the country posted announcements on their websites and social media accounts that the flavor had sold out, leaving many wondering where they could purchase the flavors. cookies or if the flavor would come back next year.
This led some buyers to sites like eBay. But when cookies are purchased through resellers, “troops are robbed of valuable experience and, more importantly, revenue that funds essential year-round programming,” the Girl Scouts said. in their press release.
Instead, the organization said, cookie lovers “could and should use this money to support the girls by purchasing the many other varieties or supporting the program through donations.”