*TL;DR, but I know these cookies are near and dear to many of you, so I thought you might find this interesting. Personally, I’ve never understood their appeal, but I didn’t grow up with them.
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I think the appeal is forged from scarcity and nostalgia.
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Nostalgia certainly. My sisters and I were all Girl Scouts. Then my nieces. Now my great-niece. The cookies aren’t the best (though there is something addictive about the Thin Mints) but their sales have funded an amazing number of camping trips–I learned valuable skills such as ice cream making and baking chocolate chip cookies on an open campfire.
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To very loosely quote Rick James: “nostalgia is a powerful emotion.”
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Maybe for some it’s nostagia. For me, it’s the delight of buying something marginally tasty from a Scout that funds a good cause and teaches. Nevermind the cookies–the interaction is priceless.
For the same reason, I’m a sucker for summer lemonade stands.
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I hate girls scout cookies.
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And butter. You cannot be trusted.
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I agree, and also about “nostalgia”. My mom was my troop leader, and my daughter was involved in scouting even in college. Not just the flavors are nostalgic; girl scouting is nostalgic for a lot of families.
I recently participated in a virtual bday party for an uncle turning 90 and a little girl I may never meet was in uniform on the screen. It felt like we immediately bonded over cookie sales
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One word: Samoas.
I love thin mints, but nobody else has captured that gooey coconutty-caramel magic.
Also…was a GS for 12 years, Brownie to Senior (Daisy wasnt around yet) so i know that the money raised goes to raising girls and teaching skills).
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Agreed.
But not because I don’t like Girl Scout Cookies. Or butter. Or both.
Costco has put a number of “Girl Scouts Inspired” cookies and snacks the last few years. Some are allowed to use the Girl Scout names, while others will just describe the familiar taste and ingredients. They have Samoa/Carmel deLite snack bites that are really addictive. Rather than cookies, they are chocolate covered crispy, coconutty, caramelly bite-sized snacks.
They’ve also had Thin Mints almonds and pretzels. I like both (the almonds worked for me, but I’ve read some reviews where they weren’t beloved), but the pretzels are absolutely dangerous to have around the house.
Back to the original. I’m also a huge fan of the peanut butter sandwich cookies.
Another “OG” cookie.
I do miss the shortbread with the chocolate slab on top.
While at Target this weekend, I spied a display of personal care products with scents inspired by Girl Scout cookies. The brand is called Native. Think: body wash that smells like Thin Mints or deodorant that smells like Samoas.
Nah, I’m good with just cookies. 
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I just wish one of the skills wasn’t learning how to get your parents to flog your cookies to their co-workers. The whole process has changed massively since I was a Girl Scout in the 1960s. Some changes are good (not forcing troops to buy the cookies before they know what they will be able to sell). Others, not so much.
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As a kid I was always disappointed dad would never sell cookies at work. He always said he didn’t do it because he was management and he didn’t want people feeling compelled to buy. Didn’t get the logic when I was a kid, but I guess dad knew what he was doing. (Mom was a stay-at-homer so she was of no help either.)
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I’ve never met him, but I’m impressed by your dad.
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He was a good man (but I may be biased 
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Reminds me of my dad’s favorite statement: Make nostalgia a thing of the past
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The organization has changed so much since I was a scout in the 60’s. I am very disappointed that they have removed themselves from outdoor education, camps and camping.
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