Selling Girl Scout Cookies!

[Disneyland1084]

My DD 8 is in Brownies. We received all the cookies a few days ago for all the pre orders. The cookie mom gave me extra cases to sell. We went to a local park today and set up a table with a sign. A nice lady who was a leader for another troop said we're not suppose to sell them in public until the 28th, as that's when the Girl Scouts will start selling them in front of stores. Although there wasn't a No Soliciting sign at the park, I called the troop leader. She said it was probably best I take the table down, which I did. We did manage to sell $60 worth. A friend of mine in Texas has a daughter who's a Girl Scout and she was selling cookies in front of a store today. Is anyone familiar with the rules on when to sell cookies in public? I plan on calling the Girl Scouts of America on Tuesday.

 

[havaneselover]

Doesn't it vary by region?

 

[Southernmiss]

I did a Google search and found the answer to your questions on girlscouts.org website. enter your zip code and dates and location of authorized sales pops up.

In my area there were troops out at local stores today. They were listed on the website.

 

[MSLRAC]

My DD 8 is in Brownies. We received all the cookies a few days ago for all the pre orders. The cookie mom gave me extra cases to sell. We went to a local park today and set up a table with a sign. A nice lady who was a leader for another troop said we're not suppose to sell them in public until the 28th, as that's when the Girl Scouts will start selling them in front of stores. Although there wasn't a No Soliciting sign at the park, I called the troop leader. She said it was probably best I take the table down, which I did. We did manage to sell $60 worth. A friend of mine in Texas has a daughter who's a Girl Scout and she was selling cookies in front of a store today. Is anyone familiar with the rules on when to sell cookies in public? I plan on calling the Girl Scouts of America on Tuesday.

It all depends on your service unit. Our old SU has had cookies for over a month and they are wrapping up their booths in a couple weeks. Our new SU just got cookies in this weekend. But both SU's have cookie booth rules and you can't just set up a booth when ever and where ever you want to. It doesn't sound like your leader knows all the rules herself so I would call your local SU office and ask them when, where, and if you can set up a cookie booth.

 

[cnavarrete]

It depends on your local council. There are very strict rules to try to make it fair to all the girls. In our council, you can start selling door to door a few days before you can sell at a "booth." We are not allowed to go set up anywhere we want. We get assigned stores at a specific time and date that we can sell at, and that we share with the entire Service Unit.

 

[scoutie]

It varies by region. Even in the Chicago area, each suburb was different.

 

[SMD]

I will buy 2 boxes from the first child who asks me. Child, not parent. I was always the top seller in my troop and sometimes I was one of the tops in my region, so I like to help out a kid who is trying to sell. This year no one asked! Then on Thursday there was a guy at the mall pacing back and forth between 2 department stores selling boxes. He didn't have a kid with him, plus it was during school hours. I asked around and heard that some local troops didn't do preorders at all, they were just told to estimate. I even asked my boss if I could buy from her and she said they just got a few boxes and are doing to booth. So I said maybe if I'm in the area I'd go to her booth. All of this for a $5 box of cookies I don't even like all that much!

 

[clori]

Our sales are wrapping up. We typically get our order forms before sales actually can start but are given the start date. We have a cookie coordinator for the city/service unit. We have many booth sales that are strictly lottery such as subway stops which are open to the entire region vs just cities/towns where stops are located and grocery stores. Our tables (booth sales) are done by more than one girl at a time and often divided up into times. I know we can arrange troop sales at non lottery places. For instance each of my dd's troops did a booth sale at a different local pizza/sub shop on Super Bowl Sunday. First the store needed to okay the sale then then cookie coordinator for the service unit. Once the sale was okayed we needed to get a free permit from city hall. We sell starting in Dec thru February so things like setting up tables in parks just are not done here (too much snow).

 

[jdb in AZ]

I will buy 2 boxes from the first child who asks me. Child, not parent. I was always the top seller in my troop and sometimes I was one of the tops in my region, so I like to help out a kid who is trying to sell. This year no one asked! Then on Thursday there was a guy at the mall pacing back and forth between 2 department stores selling boxes. He didn't have a kid with him, plus it was during school hours. I asked around and heard that some local troops didn't do preorders at all, they were just told to estimate. I even asked my boss if I could buy from her and she said they just got a few boxes and are doing to booth. So I said maybe if I'm in the area I'd go to her booth. All of this for a $5 box of cookies I don't even like all that much!

They're still $4.00 a box here, and have been available two weeks. DH bought some in front of a grocery store, then more from a co-worker's daughter. Gotta love those thin mints.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As an outsider looking in, this entire thing just seems a little nutty. Blackout dates, territories.... sounds like the mafia.

 

[scrapquitler]

My DD 8 is in Brownies. We received all the cookies a few days ago for all the pre orders. The cookie mom gave me extra cases to sell. We went to a local park today and set up a table with a sign. A nice lady who was a leader for another troop said we're not suppose to sell them in public until the 28th, as that's when the Girl Scouts will start selling them in front of stores. Although there wasn't a No Soliciting sign at the park, I called the troop leader. She said it was probably best I take the table down, which I did. We did manage to sell $60 worth. A friend of mine in Texas has a daughter who's a Girl Scout and she was selling cookies in front of a store today. Is anyone familiar with the rules on when to sell cookies in public? I plan on calling the Girl Scouts of America on Tuesday.

In our service unit, girls are not supposed to set up tables like that in public unless it is part of a troop activity. And booths aren't allowed to be held until March 1st here.
Instead of calling the Girl Scouts of America, I'd call whoever is in charge of your service unit. Dates vary by area, and you can get the best info for your area from someone there.

 

[superme80]

As an outsider looking in, this entire thing just seems a little nutty. Blackout dates, territories.... sounds like the mafia.

That is exactly what I thought!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

As others have said it varies by region. We just started selling Feb 3rd and we weren't allowed to do any preorders. For booths, we didn't have a wait, but we have to have all booth requests ok'd by the service unit. We will be selling outside of the school, after school, with permission from the both the SU & the principal. Boxes are $5 each here.

 

[MSLRAC]

As an outsider looking in, this entire thing just seems a little nutty. Blackout dates, territories.... sounds like the mafia.

It's all done in an attempt to make things fair for the girls.

And just as cookie season varies by SU, so do prices. They're still just $3.50 here.

 

[tvguy]

Pre-orders started here 3 weeks ago. First site sales start February 27. Here, the council assigns times and locations to local troops. You can't just set up somewhere. The council gets permission from all the property owners before hand. Girl Scout website says they sell for $4 a box.

 

[bushdianee]

I help out with my niece's troop. She was the only one who wanted to sell this year so she is doing it independently. We won't be doing any booths this year. The past 2 years we have done booths that were all prearranged through the council. by the way our cookies are still $3.50 a box!

 

[monorailsilver]

I am a troop leader...last year thank goodness because Girl Scouts is a crock these days...too many rules!

Our sales here in CT were in January. I just submitted my troops order (no one wanted to be cookie mom...go figure!) 2 weeks ago and they arrive in 2 weeks. Cookie booths are for that next month but I am not doing one since I am quitting after this year and no one volunteers to help.

And they are $4/box here except the gluten free that are $5.

 

[Disneyland1084]

As an outsider looking in, this entire thing just seems a little nutty. Blackout dates, territories.... sounds like the mafia.

I know. If we were allowed to stay at the park selling the cookies, we could have easily made $500. Don't the Girl Scouts want to earn money????

 

[FlightlessDuck]

And just as cookie season varies by SU, so do prices. They're still just $3.50 here.

Wait... what?

 

[zoemurr]

$3.50 here too. We don't do any pre-orders, but we have to buy full cases of every cookie. So if we only sell one box of something, we still have to buy a case of 12. Booth sales are used to sell the extras. I have never heard of a girl doing a booth sale alone. That is a troop thing, with minimal parental involvement, and needs to be pre-approved by the place they are selling in front of. We used to sell in September which was so much nicer, and easier. The weather is terrible here now (like 3 feet of snow terrible) and people don't want as many sweets after Christmas as they did in the fall.