Why Girl Scout Cookie Fans Are Paying $30 a Box for This New Release

Would you pay that much for a single box of cookies?

As a parent of two daughters in Girl Scouts, I have mixed feelings about the whole cookie-selling extravaganza. On the one hand, I like that selling cookies teaches my girls some valuable lessons, like the importance of good customer service and budgeting. On the other hand, like many parents, I sometimes can't help but feel like I'm the one doing lots of the selling, whether by blasting out emails or shuttling my daughters around town for deliveries and booth sales.

Girl Scout cookies can be purchased a couple of different ways. You can arrange for a Girl Scout you know to deliver them to your door (and either pay cash on the spot or pay with a credit card ahead of time), or you can order your cookies online through a participant's link to be shipped to your door. The latter option is a good one for friends and family members who aren't local but want to support a specific Girl Scout or Girl Scout troop.

Meanwhile, this year, there was a new Girl Scout cookie thrown into the mix as an online exclusive -- the Raspberry Rally, which is basically like a Thin Mint with raspberry flavoring. Not shockingly, Girl Scout cookie fans rushed to scoop up boxes of this new offering, so much so that Raspberry Rallys sold out in just hours. 

If you missed out on buying a box of Raspberry Rally cookies, you may be disappointed. But you're not necessarily out of luck. 

It's still possible to get your hands on the newest Girl Scout cookie offering. You just need to be willing to pay a premium for it.

Would you spend $30 on a single box of Girl Scout cookies?

Girl Scout cookies commonly retail for $5 or $6 per box. Of that, individual troops get to keep a small percentage to fund different activities and outings. That percentage hinges on factors like the number of boxes sold in total per troop.

When Girl Scout cookies are purchased online through an official troop member's site, that participant is credited for the purchase -- meaning, their troop gets to keep a cut of the proceeds. Participants can also earn prizes for meeting certain sales thresholds (though if I'm being honest, unless you're really going to sell a lot of cookies, those prizes aren't too exciting). 

Meanwhile, the price you'll pay per box of Girl Scout cookies for shipped products is generally the same price you'll pay for boxes hand-delivered to your door. The only difference is that shipping charges will apply.

Now, some might argue that $5 or $6 for a relatively small box of cookies is a rip-off (especially when you can buy a larger package of cookies at your local supermarket for half the price, at least in my neck of the woods). But if you think $5 or $6 per box is steep, try $30. That's the amount of money you might pay to buy a box of Raspberry Rally cookies from a third-party seller on sites like eBay, according to CNN.

If you're wondering why on earth someone would be willing to take $30 out of their bank account for a single box of Girl Scout cookies, the answer boils down to FOMO -- fear of missing out.

Since these Raspberry Rally cookies are new, and we don't know if they'll be back next season, many Girl Scout cookie fans are willing to pay up rather than lose out on the chance to sample them. But doing this is not only the opposite of economical, it's also something that's making the Girl Scout organization pretty upset.

The Girl Scout cookie program is based on the concept of teaching participants valuable skills and encouraging entrepreneurship. Selling cookies on third-party sites clearly doesn't lend to that goal, which is why the organization is less than pleased to hear that Raspberry Rally cookies are being sold on sites like eBay.

How far should you go for a Raspberry Rally?

As of now, there are no plans to ramp up production on Raspberry Rally cookies. So if you didn't manage to score a box this season, you're probably out of luck until next season. 

If the idea of missing out on this specific cookie is keeping you awake at night, then by all means, pay a third-party seller an exorbitant price for a box. But if you can make your peace with waiting another year to try a Raspberry Rally, then you're probably better off doing so rather than shelling out $30 -- especially given how expensive groceries are these days.

Thankfully, the Girl Scout cookie lineup is loaded with other delicious offerings. And if you don't have a source for Girl Scout cookies, guess what? Many troops hold booth sales in front of local businesses throughout the month of March. So a quick trip into town might make it possible to load up on all of your favorites -- without having to spend more than $5 or $6 a box.