Digital Cookies
December 11, 2014 6:45 PM Subscribe
Back in 2006, 235w103 asked "...is there some sort of online thing where it'll find me a girl-scout to purchase from? Because I don't know any". There is now. Starting December 12, customers can order cookies from scouts online; and have the boxes shipped directly to their homes. There is also a new app that will point you to booth sales in your area.
Just a reminder folks - while the cookies are great, for the girls, this is not really about cookies.
Unless it's a XSRF attack to get some sort of merit badge.
posted by GuyZero at 7:10 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Unless it's a XSRF attack to get some sort of merit badge.
posted by GuyZero at 7:10 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I like how my council is the only one on that list that has a the. Like if we were a football player, we'd say we're from THE Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England.
posted by Ruki at 7:11 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by Ruki at 7:11 PM on December 11, 2014
We can close up this week's best post contest now.
I used to have two sources for cookies. Both aged out of the system and relocated. This is the perfect year for this to launch.
Related story: The other night I order cookies from Insomnia Cookies and they came to my door like pizza delivery.
The driver asked how I was doing and I said, "I just had cookies delivered to my door and they are still oven hot. I live in the future. The future! How do you think I am doing?" He seemed unimpressed, but I guess living that close to a miracle makes one jaded.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:12 PM on December 11, 2014 [16 favorites]
I used to have two sources for cookies. Both aged out of the system and relocated. This is the perfect year for this to launch.
Related story: The other night I order cookies from Insomnia Cookies and they came to my door like pizza delivery.
The driver asked how I was doing and I said, "I just had cookies delivered to my door and they are still oven hot. I live in the future. The future! How do you think I am doing?" He seemed unimpressed, but I guess living that close to a miracle makes one jaded.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:12 PM on December 11, 2014 [16 favorites]
I bought a case of samoas last spring. 5 boxes left and I think I may open one right now.
posted by efalk at 7:13 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by efalk at 7:13 PM on December 11, 2014
oh no. no. No. Nonononononononononono
There's this box to input your zip code. That box is next to a phrase that says, "Find Cookies!" I can even support multiple Girl Scouts by looking at their online personalized cookie websites. And won't I want to order from the best ones and and the Charlie Brown Xmas tree version ones and the ones who are obviously trying hard and STILL order from the Scouts I see at the grocery store because of course and this is TERRIBLE.
This is awful. This is my ruin. This might be bad for the Girl Scouts, too. Or it might be great. But in the short term, I'm well and truly up a cookie creek with an online ordering paddle. A paddle made of thin mints and do-si-dos dipped in milk.
*sob* this is the best thing that's ever happened and I don't deserve it. Find Cookies, magic machine. I'm never wearing pants again.
posted by barchan at 7:14 PM on December 11, 2014 [21 favorites]
There's this box to input your zip code. That box is next to a phrase that says, "Find Cookies!" I can even support multiple Girl Scouts by looking at their online personalized cookie websites. And won't I want to order from the best ones and and the Charlie Brown Xmas tree version ones and the ones who are obviously trying hard and STILL order from the Scouts I see at the grocery store because of course and this is TERRIBLE.
This is awful. This is my ruin. This might be bad for the Girl Scouts, too. Or it might be great. But in the short term, I'm well and truly up a cookie creek with an online ordering paddle. A paddle made of thin mints and do-si-dos dipped in milk.
*sob* this is the best thing that's ever happened and I don't deserve it. Find Cookies, magic machine. I'm never wearing pants again.
posted by barchan at 7:14 PM on December 11, 2014 [21 favorites]
Not all girl scout councils are participating in this program. Our local girl scouts don't participate because the cost of shipping nearly equals the cost of a box of cookies. It's too early to tell, but many people think that the high shipping costs will result in fewer boxes of cookies being sold, and therefore less profit for the scouts.
posted by Ostara at 7:15 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by Ostara at 7:15 PM on December 11, 2014
does this mean that I can always ensure that my Samoas are delivered to me from the clearly superior Little Brownie Bakers because for too many years I have been forced to import cookies from my old council into the heathen wastelands of "Caramel deLites" to the north and they are not the same
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:20 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:20 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Cookie Season is Coming is about as far away from Westeros as you can get.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:24 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by cjorgensen at 7:24 PM on December 11, 2014
Our local girl scouts don't participate because the cost of shipping nearly equals the cost of a box of cookies. It's too early to tell, but many people think that the high shipping costs will result in fewer boxes of cookies being sold, and therefore less profit for the scouts.
On a practical note, it's interesting to hear that there are varying degrees of use. I am somewhat reminded of seeing some troops with tricked out iPads and Squares, able to both afford the technology and cover the credit card fees*, and some troops (or single girls) with nothing but excellent cash-counting skills. I'm torn because I love supporting cookie sales, one of the first things that got me out of a book and talking to actual strangers, but unless the plucky Junior on the corner who just wants to go to the Singalong on the Mall and is willing to be out there in the cold for hours catches me on a rare day with actual cash, well, no Samoas for me and no sale for her. At the same time, it feels wrong to only support troops with ipads, and to foist the fees onto the troops regardless. Will the troops also be responsible for the credit card fees through this, or will those come out of another section of the profit?
*unless this is part of a broader program through a council or GSUSA?
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:29 PM on December 11, 2014
On a practical note, it's interesting to hear that there are varying degrees of use. I am somewhat reminded of seeing some troops with tricked out iPads and Squares, able to both afford the technology and cover the credit card fees*, and some troops (or single girls) with nothing but excellent cash-counting skills. I'm torn because I love supporting cookie sales, one of the first things that got me out of a book and talking to actual strangers, but unless the plucky Junior on the corner who just wants to go to the Singalong on the Mall and is willing to be out there in the cold for hours catches me on a rare day with actual cash, well, no Samoas for me and no sale for her. At the same time, it feels wrong to only support troops with ipads, and to foist the fees onto the troops regardless. Will the troops also be responsible for the credit card fees through this, or will those come out of another section of the profit?
*unless this is part of a broader program through a council or GSUSA?
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:29 PM on December 11, 2014
metafilter: I'm never wearing pants again
posted by el io at 8:22 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by el io at 8:22 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
No joke, there is "Girl Scouts of Wisconsin-Badgerland" on there.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:43 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:43 PM on December 11, 2014
This is all neat, but nothing beats the feeling of walking up to a passel of Girl Scouts at the end of their shift outside the grocery store and saying "How many you got left? I'll take ALL OF THEM." and then handing out boxes of Girl Scout cookies to people at work all of the next day. You will be a legend.
posted by Etrigan at 8:44 PM on December 11, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 8:44 PM on December 11, 2014 [8 favorites]
It's too bad this rolls out just as the quality of the cookies has dropped to a level that I can't get excited about anymore. I'd be happy to buy some to support the girls if I saw them out n about and I had cash but they definitely do not taste like they used to.
posted by bleep at 10:12 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by bleep at 10:12 PM on December 11, 2014
*canonizes Etrigan*
posted by Pizzarina Sbarro at 11:12 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Pizzarina Sbarro at 11:12 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Logically I know there is only an infinitesimally microscopic chance that clicking on the link will show an option for international shipping, but logic crumbles when faced with ex-pat pregnancy hormones willing to stuff an entire box of thin mints and samosa into my face...*click*
Woe. Wailing and gnashing of teeth ensues...
posted by romakimmy at 3:10 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Woe. Wailing and gnashing of teeth ensues...
posted by romakimmy at 3:10 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thin Mints are vegan.
Vegan food is good for you.
Therefore, Thin Mints are good for you.
I actually got kind of down on the whole program when my daughter was a Girl Scout and I realize that only 10-15% of the cookie cash stays with the local troop doing all the work selling cookies.
That doesn't stop me from buying though.
posted by COD at 5:14 AM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
Vegan food is good for you.
Therefore, Thin Mints are good for you.
I actually got kind of down on the whole program when my daughter was a Girl Scout and I realize that only 10-15% of the cookie cash stays with the local troop doing all the work selling cookies.
That doesn't stop me from buying though.
posted by COD at 5:14 AM on December 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
I got bummed out and stopped buying a few years ago when I realized that GS cookies are made with trans-fats. Has this changed?
posted by sibboleth at 8:18 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sibboleth at 8:18 AM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
I stopped obsessing over GS cookies when I realized that Keebler sells near copies of them year round. Keebler owns Little Brownie Bakers now, so it's one big happy empire.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:31 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:31 AM on December 12, 2014
They might as well have called this "Come on, fat boy."
posted by klangklangston at 8:50 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by klangklangston at 8:50 AM on December 12, 2014
I still haven't forgiven the local council for switching to Little Brownie Bakery when they rearranged the councils 10 years ago. The only LBB cookie that we like even as well as the ones from ABC are Samoas, and they're not the same as Carmel Delites. (When the councils merged, DaughterR was still in Scouts, and the troop (and IIRC the whole Cluster) protested the change to LBB; and even looked into changing councils (we're on the edge of the council region). Didn't make a difference (and wouldn't have, as both councils use LBB), but it made them feel better. )
Unless they've changed, ABC has cookies with no transfats , so if your council uses ABC, you're in luck.
I haven't seen a Scout at the door in the decade since DR left Scouts, and I seem to miss the cookie booths at the grocer, so we've had to fill our GS Cookie needs elsewhere. We've found that Meijer has very good versions of the ABC cookies, so we buy them and donate cash to the Cluster.
posted by jlkr at 10:31 AM on December 12, 2014
Unless they've changed, ABC has cookies with no transfats , so if your council uses ABC, you're in luck.
I haven't seen a Scout at the door in the decade since DR left Scouts, and I seem to miss the cookie booths at the grocer, so we've had to fill our GS Cookie needs elsewhere. We've found that Meijer has very good versions of the ABC cookies, so we buy them and donate cash to the Cluster.
posted by jlkr at 10:31 AM on December 12, 2014
I am really torn about this...on one hand, it's great that The Girl Scouts are modernizing. On the other hand, it's widening the digital divide and could have a negative impact on Scouts from lower-income areas with less access to technology.
posted by radioamy at 12:44 PM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by radioamy at 12:44 PM on December 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
It is such a very, very strange cultural tradition. The cookies are terrible and wildly overpriced. Your grocery store cookie aisle has SO MANY BETTER COOKIES. At least I've been told. I rarely travel there as it so frequently leads to illness.
Full disclosure: Yes, I would eat an entire sleeve of Thin Mints if I stumbled upon them.
I would have said (ignorantly, maybe, as I was not a Girl Scout) that cookie sales were more about community spirit or something positive and inclusive like that. Online sales are not that.
posted by Glinn at 8:29 PM on December 13, 2014
Full disclosure: Yes, I would eat an entire sleeve of Thin Mints if I stumbled upon them.
I would have said (ignorantly, maybe, as I was not a Girl Scout) that cookie sales were more about community spirit or something positive and inclusive like that. Online sales are not that.
posted by Glinn at 8:29 PM on December 13, 2014
Glinn: "It is such a very, very strange cultural tradition. The cookies are terrible and wildly overpriced. Your grocery store cookie aisle has SO MANY BETTER COOKIES."
Perhaps consider the possibility that not everyone has the exact same taste preferences as you?
posted by Chrysostom at 6:38 AM on December 18, 2014
Perhaps consider the possibility that not everyone has the exact same taste preferences as you?
posted by Chrysostom at 6:38 AM on December 18, 2014
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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 7:10 PM on December 11, 2014