New Raspberry Rally Girl Scout cookie resold at a huge markup on eBay

The Girl Scouts’ new cookie, Raspberry Rally, has been “flipped”, quickly selling out and then being placed on resale, fetching exorbitant prices on eBay. The Girl Scouts aren’t happy about it.

“We’re saddened that the platforms and the sellers are disregarding the core mission of the cookie program and are looking to make a profit off of the name without supporting our mission and the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program in the world,” the Girl Scouts of the USA said in a statement.

Cookie lovers were encouraged to support troops by purchasing other available flavors.

The statement continued, “When cookies are purchased through an unauthorized third-party seller, Girl Scout troops are deprived of valuable experience and, more importantly, proceeds that fund critical programming throughout the year.”

Boxes of Raspberry Rally costing from $4 to $7 are selling for as much as five times the usual price on eBay. “We strongly support the entrepreneurial spirit of hardworking local Girl Scout troops and encourage cookie-seekers to also support their local Girl Scouts, however the sale of Girl Scout cookies does not violate eBay policies,” the Girl Scouts said in a statement.

The Girl Scouts have held annual cookie sales since 1917 to raise money for troop activities while teaching its members five important skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Raspberry Rally was the first cookie to be sold only online with the goal of “enhancing girls’ e-commerce sales and entrepreneurial skills.”

Supply chain issues also contributed to the shortage, but wasn’t the primary driver as Raspberry Rally hype had been building on social media since its planned rollout was announced in August.

Eric Rodwell of Parker, CO, told The New York Times that he traced some boxes down through Twitter from a troop based in Washington, D.C. after finding stock-outs in the standard online purchase process. Mr. Rodwell told the Times, “I don’t feel good about participating in resale unless it’s benefiting the girls and definitely wouldn’t support paying lots of money over the original price — doesn’t seem right.”

• New Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookie Joins Nationwide Lineup for 2023 Season — Girl Scouts of the USA

• Raspberry Rally — Girl Scouts of the USA

• Girl Scout Cookie Boxes of Limited Raspberry Rally Flavor Selling for Hundreds of Dollars on eBay — People

• Sold-Out Girl Scout Cookie Flavor Hits the Resale Market — The New York Times

• Why It’s So Hard to Find Girl Scout Cookies This Year — Eater

• What do raspberry, eBay have in common? Princely sums paid for elusive Girl Scout cookies — TmesReporter

• The Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookie sold out fast. Now it’s selling on eBay for 8X the price — Fortune