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Boy Scouts Popcorn Fail (1 Viewer)

We had a boy and got a Girl Scout a few years back. I think the cookies were $6 or $7 and those things sold themselves. The thin about the cookies is you can’t ge them elsewhere. But popcorn? Yeah that’s not a limited commodity like those damn cookies.

We hated selling popcorn and suggested many times we should sell candy bars or something else. Anything else. 

My nepher is still in the scouts and we always buy a wreath and one thing of chocolate popcorn. Is he were a Girl Scout? We’d buy like 20 boxes of cookies. Pull your head out of your ### Boy Scouts.

 
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Our local Scout Troop invested in a bunch of American flags on poles that go in the ground. On major patriotic holidays (Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July), for a fee ($25 bucks maybe, my wife knows) they’ll put a flag in your yard.  Usually it’s for the day before and after the holiday as well.  At least in our subdivision, it’s an incredibly successful fundraiser. Pretty much every house participates - and there is some soft pressure to do so as you don’t want to be the one house on the block that isn’t displaying the flag. And having the flags line the streets on these holidays is a pretty cool look.  Just an idea for those with boys in scouting. 

 
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I didn’t realize they were that much.  $10 seems like a reasonable fundraiser amount.  $20 just seems ridiculous.

I do like the wreaths though.

 
Do lots of fundraising for the kids, in my opinion you are going to have more value than a bag of popcorn for $40. Certainly if you are soliciting random people in front of the local super market.  

 
Value for who tho? You as a consumer? Or the unit?

I've had both Boy and GirlScouts. My son, in one year's effort of selling popcorn, was able to out earn my daughter's effort at selling cookies for her entire stay in the GirlScouts. This wasn't a hustle or a longevity issue. In fact, I'd say my daughter put more effort into the yearly sales that my son did. Some of this has to do with the percentages that come back to the unit, some of this has to do with the time needed to initiate and then close the sale. Someone earlier mentioned the tradeoff between time, space and returns. This balance is tricky to maintain. The volume of cookies needed is brutal. She would have needed to sell 2K boxes of cookies in a year to match his totals. Insane. I've asked before, if cookies are the best most awesomest fund raiser ever, why do the GirlScouts roll out their Nuts/Candy sale later on in the year?

As far as candy bar sales, I wouldn't have spent the time trying to sell those at all. No way am I am walking with anyone to sell a 50 cent candy bar door to door. The time to make each sale would make that a losing proposition all the way around. That box of candy would sit in the lunch room cafe until my coworkers got tired of seeing it and threw it away. So the scout loses the added benefit of working for their own goals plus the lousy returns.

I like the flag idea. I could see that working. Especially for the BoyScout troops.

 
IrishTwinkie said:
Value for who tho? You as a consumer? Or the unit?

I've had both Boy and GirlScouts. My son, in one year's effort of selling popcorn, was able to out earn my daughter's effort at selling cookies for her entire stay in the GirlScouts. This wasn't a hustle or a longevity issue. In fact, I'd say my daughter put more effort into the yearly sales that my son did. Some of this has to do with the percentages that come back to the unit, some of this has to do with the time needed to initiate and then close the sale. Someone earlier mentioned the tradeoff between time, space and returns. This balance is tricky to maintain. The volume of cookies needed is brutal. She would have needed to sell 2K boxes of cookies in a year to match his totals. Insane. I've asked before, if cookies are the best most awesomest fund raiser ever, why do the GirlScouts roll out their Nuts/Candy sale later on in the year?

As far as candy bar sales, I wouldn't have spent the time trying to sell those at all. No way am I am walking with anyone to sell a 50 cent candy bar door to door. The time to make each sale would make that a losing proposition all the way around. That box of candy would sit in the lunch room cafe until my coworkers got tired of seeing it and threw it away. So the scout loses the added benefit of working for their own goals plus the lousy returns.

I like the flag idea. I could see that working. Especially for the BoyScout troops.
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Girl scouts get 50% of a 6 dollar box?  

If you charged $20 for a box you would get the same totals......     $17 would go to the unit.....  

 
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IrishTwinkie said:
The GirlScouts sells a box for $4, makes 50 cents. How many boxes need to be sold to collect a useful amount? If the cookie sale was effective, why do the scouts follow it right up with the Nuts/Candy? 

I'll say I didn't realize that the GirlScouts kept so much of the proceeds and the scouts themselves saw so little. I digress, but this is another mark against that organization. My understanding was that the baker was taking 50%. I just asked the wife, they take 25%. 
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Based on my house alone they make about $20. :bag: .  The volume they sell I believe they do just fine on that fundraiser.

 
belljr said:
Girl scouts get 50% of a 6 dollar box?  

If you charged $20 for a box you would get the same totals......     $17 would go to the unit.....  
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50cents per cookie box is what would come back to our units. Standing out there for hours on end to sell maybe 40 boxes.

(Nope, not bitter at all about those cookie sales. Not me.)  

 
IrishTwinkie said:
50cents per cookie box is what would come back to our units. Standing out there for hours on end to sell maybe 40 boxes.

(Nope, not bitter at all about those cookie sales. Not me.)  
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Where do you live where it takes hours to sell 40 boxes?  Those things are like crack and basically sell themselves.

 
A good season would see about 250-300 boxes sold. For maybe $150 back to the unit. My son would clear $1k back to the unit selling popcorn. 

It was galling. Then they'd bust out the hype for the Nuts/Candy sale on the heels of the cookies. Wheeee.

 
bigbottom said:
Our local Scout Troop invested in a bunch of American flags on poles that go in the ground. On major patriotic holidays (Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July), for a fee ($25 bucks maybe, my wife knows) they’ll put a flag in your yard.  Usually it’s for the day before and after the holiday as well.  At least in our subdivision, it’s an incredibly successful fundraiser. Pretty much every house participates - and there is some soft pressure to do so as you don’t want to be the one house on the block that isn’t displaying the flag. And having the flags line the streets on these holidays is a pretty cool look.  Just an idea for those with boys in scouting. 
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http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GR11DU1_ZkM/U_kUkaRO1aI/AAAAAAAAAyc/e5YkWjA3zRg/s1600/seinfeld%2Baids%2Bribbon.jpg

 
IrishTwinkie said:
50cents per cookie box is what would come back to our units. Standing out there for hours on end to sell maybe 40 boxes.

(Nope, not bitter at all about those cookie sales. Not me.)  
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Yeah.  The cookie sales are really a fundraiser for National Girl Scouts.  The troops don’t get much back.  

We used to sell tons of cookies, but we try and balance the time better now.

 
So why not sell the boxes for more and keep the difference?

If the boxes are $5 - and you keep .50

Sell them for 7 and keep 2.50

$10 - 5.50

 
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I'll gladly pay 400% markup on candy or something else that costs $5 or less.

But 400% markup on "gourmet" popcorn? Get out of here.

When I was in Scouts, we had 3 annual fundraisers:

1. paper drive (I guess people don't use paper anymore, so that one's out)
2. Christmas tree/wreath sale (might not be feasible in places where fake trees are popular, I suppose)
3. pancake breakfast

Two of these events had the added bonus of providing a legitimate service to the community (i.e., recycling paper and trees). We would never think of stooping to the level of begging for people to buy crappy food. Who do we look like, the French Club??

 
belljr said:
So why not sell the boxes for more and keep the difference?

If the boxes are $5 - and you keep .50

Sell them for 7 and keep 2.50
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The people on the front lines don't set the prices. Can't. It comes down from the organizers of the sale. I know other GS councils would set different prices for the boxes. 

But now we are getting to the heart of the matter aren't we. Where is the price point where it maximizes the fundraising for the investment in time? At the local level, this is all volunteer time. How do you make the best use of that time? This is cost point going to be different for everyone, see this thread. But I can tell ya, I've seen units sell upwards to 50K in popcorn with over 1/3 coming back to the unit. That funds one heck of a program year! Its successful. So they haven't out priced the market.

 
IrishTwinkie said:
The people on the front lines don't set the prices. Can't. It comes down from the organizers of the sale. I know other GS councils would set different prices for the boxes. 

But now we are getting to the heart of the matter aren't we. Where is the price point where it maximizes the fundraising for the investment in time? At the local level, this is all volunteer time. How do you make the best use of that time? This is cost point going to be different for everyone, see this thread. But I can tell ya, I've seen units sell upwards to 50K in popcorn with over 1/3 coming back to the unit. That funds one heck of a program year! Its successful. So they haven't out priced the market.
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How will they know if little Suzy is selling them for a few bucks more outside of WAWA.....  

 
Joe Summer said:
I'll gladly pay 400% markup on candy or something else that costs $5 or less.

But 400% markup on "gourmet" popcorn? Get out of here.

When I was in Scouts, we had 3 annual fundraisers:

1. paper drive (I guess people don't use paper anymore, so that one's out)
2. Christmas tree/wreath sale (might not be feasible in places where fake trees are popular, I suppose)
3. pancake breakfast

Two of these events had the added bonus of providing a legitimate service to the community (i.e., recycling paper and trees). We would never think of stooping to the level of begging for people to buy crappy food. Who do we look like, the French Club??
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400% is extremely conservative.

 
Here's another reason why popcorn is such a bad idea: when I buy Girl Scout Cookies, I only end up eating 1-2 cookies at a time. So, the box lasts for a couple of weeks, thereby creating a feeling of "value".

But NOBODY eats popcorn that way. Once you start eating a bag, you're pretty much going to finish it that night or the next night. So, you just spent $20 for something that only lasted for a couple hours, and you end up with feelings of resentment for getting gypped by the freaking Boy Scouts. That right there is a violation of at least 3 points of the Scout Law (A Scout Is Trustworthy, Helpful, and Thrifty....just not when selling cheap popcorn!).

 
Joe Summer said:
Here's another reason why popcorn is such a bad idea: when I buy Girl Scout Cookies, I only end up eating 1-2 cookies at a time. So, the box lasts for a couple of weeks, thereby creating a feeling of "value".

But NOBODY eats popcorn that way. Once you start eating a bag, you're pretty much going to finish it that night or the next night. So, you just spent $20 for something that only lasted for a couple hours, and you end up with feelings of resentment for getting gypped by the freaking Boy Scouts. That right there is a violation of at least 3 points of the Scout Law (A Scout Is Trustworthy, Helpful, and Thrifty....just not when selling cheap popcorn!).
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:lol:  So you're the one.

I'm lucky if a box makes it past 2 days

 
I almosted stopped the other day, glad i didnt. Expected girl scout type prices, maybe 7-8 bucks a bag, 10 max. I would have laughed at the shakedown as well. They should be more visible with their prices instead of strong arming people at the register. 

 
fruity pebbles said:
I almosted stopped the other day, glad i didnt. Expected girl scout type prices, maybe 7-8 bucks a bag, 10 max. I would have laughed at the shakedown as well. They should be more visible with their prices instead of strong arming people at the register. 
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A polite No Thank You will suffice.

 
Bull Dozier said:
I've eaten a box of Tagalongs in one sitting. 

And no, I did not feel very good afterwards (but I felt great during).
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Ahem, Peanut Butter Patties.  :oldunsure:

And I've done the same.  

Also have killed an entire sleeve of Thin Mints in one sitting.  That's easy.

 
Jobber said:
We had a boy and got a Girl Scout a few years back. I think the cookies were $6 or $7 and those things sold themselves. The thin about the cookies is you can’t ge them elsewhere. But popcorn? Yeah that’s not a limited commodity like those damn cookies.

We hated selling popcorn and suggested many times we should sell candy bars or something else. Anything else. 

My nepher is still in the scouts and we always buy a wreath and one thing of chocolate popcorn. Is he were a Girl Scout? We’d buy like 20 boxes of cookies. Pull your head out of your ### Boy Scouts.
Click to expand...
Actually, Keebler makes some cookies that are VERY close to being the same as the Girl Scout versions.

 
I don’t really view it as they are selling popcorn. I mainly see it as a donation where you are getting tiered gifts in return.  One of my best friends son is a boy scout and I would happily donate $50 per year to them. In return I get 2 bags of chocolate caramel crunch popcorn (which by the way is pretty good).  I think that if you view it as merely purchasing popcorn—the prices are absolutely ridiculous.  

 
Several scouts came to my house this fall selling the popcorn. The first one, the kid was special needs and the dad/scoutmaster did most of the pitch.

I was a TAD annoyed when they told me the bag of trail mix I bought (I can't stand popcorn) was $20 and that I wouldn't get it for like 2 months, but whatever.  My good deed for the day.

I did feel slightly bad 2 days later when the next kid came by and I told him someone had beaten him to the punch.

 
These boys got me back in Oct outside a hardware store, had not read the thread and caught me off guard. Same deal, said I had no cash...they said we take cc...I stammered and said ok give me that one w peanuts...told me the cost...gave them wtf face and switched to most basic for $25 or whatever it was. 

 
I never saw a Boy Scout selling anything. Hard to avoid the Girl Scouts with the cookies. But the Boy Scouts seem to be a no show.

 
My son is 5 and joined scouts last year as a Lion.  We had to do that stupid popcorn sale.  Biggest rip off in the world.  We bought one bag for $20 and it was stale when we opened it.

 
My girl is knee-deep in the cookie sales right now.

My boy is in his first year of Scouts and I think we may forgo the popcorn sales.  Or just sell a few bags to my parents and call it a day.  Not going door-to-door with that overpriced garbage.

 
nirad3 said:
My girl is knee-deep in the cookie sales right now.

My boy is in his first year of Scouts and I think we may forgo the popcorn sales.  Or just sell a few bags to my parents and call it a day.  Not going door-to-door with that overpriced garbage.
Click to expand...
Why would anyone donate their time and energy, rip off their friends and colleagues, just to fund an avalanche of sex abuse settlements? 
 

 
nirad3 said:
My girl is knee-deep in the cookie sales right now.

My boy is in his first year of Scouts and I think we may forgo the popcorn sales.  Or just sell a few bags to my parents and call it a day.  Not going door-to-door with that overpriced garbage.
Click to expand...
This is what we did when my son was in Scouts for a few years. At least selling Christmas wreaths in the fall, you don't feel like you're screwing the person whose door you're knocking on.

$20 for a wreath delivered to your door > $25 for a tiny bag of stale popcorn.

 
As a former Scout, I am disappointed but not surprised by the bankruptcy filing. There are many factors involved here. The festering abuse scandal is of course at the top of the list, but that scandal was facilitated by several other things, such as their hesitance to modernize, their reluctance to oversee local chapters, and some pretty ignorant and naive beliefs about what type of man is capable of abuse.

 
IrishTwinkie said:
50cents per cookie box is what would come back to our units. Standing out there for hours on end to sell maybe 40 boxes.

(Nope, not bitter at all about those cookie sales. Not me.)  
Click to expand...
Our girls sell cookies at $5 a box, with $1 going back to the troop 

average booth sells about 150 boxes per 2 hour sitting 

 
Kids didn’t want to be involved in scouts this year but we were involved with 2 different packs over the last few years and neither of them wanted anything to do with the popcorn sales.  From what I was told very little of that money goes to the actual pack

we went other routes with fundraising (pizza coupons, ham fundraiser, bottle drives, cake auctions, stuff like that)

 
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