Popcorn - Is it finally too expensive?

[NIscouter]

I reviewed the cost of the various popcorn items and can not beliwnve my eyes. Where is the low cost item? Why do we have an 18 pack of microwave that costs $15? My troop had a number of run in with the "It is too expensive this year and I can't afford it" last year, and now we see new increases. I was not impressed with the statement "your troop percentage stays the same". We have moved way past the line of being a way to support the scouts. I think our troop may set out this year and sell Christmas wreaths instead.

[rkfrance]

The same popcorn we sell for $15 you can go to Walmart and buy for $3. Ours is Trails End. Theirs is Weaver (same brand).

 

People still bought from us because it was for the Boy Scouts, but without a doubt, the $15 packages didn't sell. The least expensive we had was $10 (which did the best, but didn't necessarily do great).

[madkins007]

Personally, I've thought that popcorn violated the basic 'fair value' rule for years. If the BSA did not get a significant share, I doubt they'd be pushing the stuff.

 

But, they DO get a share and WE get a share- and that screws up the costs. Our troop made more money faster selling much cheaper bags of beef jerky a local processor made up- lower price material (and delicious to boot!), but better profit margins to us.

 

But, then again, I am more and more anti-fundraising (except for certain situations) as time goes on and my kid's schools and clubs do more, and I am hit by others more.

[Cubmaster Jerry]

We don't do popcorn either. Our percentage of profits just isn't that good enough and we do much better selling other items.

 

I will add this fundraising tip. Be consistent year after year. We always had difficulty getting good sales because we would change our fundraisers all of the time. Keep the same fund raiser each year. People will come to expect you to sell and look forward to it.

[Prairie_Scouter]

Our Pack still sells popcorn, but it gets more difficult every year as prices increase and they remove the low cost items. We had a $40 item last year! That's not the kind of thing people are going to buy on a whim outside the grocery store, or door to door. The coordinators made a big deal about people who collect the tins; I'm told that over the years, they make up a set. I've never met anyone who's interested in that. I've told our coordinators for years that they need a nice little $5 item that we can sell; we'd sell tons of those. No dice. The popcorn company seems to think bigger is better.

[GernBlansten]

I too am having a hard time watching the scouts try to push 15 buck boxes of popcorn with a fair market value of 3 to their friends and relatives. Just doesn't seem right. Might as well just give the boys a cup of pencils and have them beg on the street corner.

[evmori]

Trails End popcorn has always been pricey. Now it is getting out of hand. There are many other fundraisers out there a unit could use & get a better return on, too.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[SemperParatus]

Amaizing. While burning the midnight oil, I was giving some thought to this. I think all the posts have a kernel of truth to them. Not trying to be corny or anything, but I think a low price product should be found in a jiffy, butter who does the shopping will still buy the fat free...tastes like styrofoam. My apologies for popping off on this topic.(This message has been edited by SemperParatus)

[EagleInKY]

Semper, you old salt, you amaize me with your ability to pop out these creative responses. You must have had a jolly time riding this horse to the trail's end.

 

Hmmm, I think I'll go watch a movie.

[SemperParatus]

A movie!

 

That's a real cracker jack idea.

Oh, fiddle-faddle, I've got to work today.

[Prairie_Scouter]

I think both of you guys have been licking at the bottom of the bowl again. You know, that stuff's not really butter

[NIscouter]

Those last few posts were an a-"salt" on common sense! Now, on a serious note, I wish our council was like Pairiescouts, but we now have two $50 items and one $40 item. That, to me is way past the line. I agree with madkins007 on the fair value - just is not there with the popcorn anymore. OK, I've burst a kernal and should stop.

[Vicki]

Gotta admit - our troop doesn't sell it. Our major fundraiser is pizza that we pre-sell. Our Venture crew sold it last year - that popcorn was good but not $18 worth of good - I'll just write a check to them for $10 this year - no calories and tax-deductible.

 

Vicki

[AwHeck]

I won't even attempt to argue that popcorn is anywhere close to "fair value" but then you could say that about most fundraisers for any organization. One thing to consider if you're thinking of opting out of popcorn sales and doing your own fundraising is that your councils recieve a siginficant percentage of those popcorn sales also. If too many units opt out of popcorn, they'll have to raise their Friends of Scouting goals or find other ways to raise funds for the council.

 

My son asks around among his friends at school and some teachers (this is High School) and I put the order form on a table in our break room at work. People are always willing to support scouts by purchasing some of the popcorn and I reciprocate by purchasing some of the fundraisers posted by others at work. He'll never be a "top seller" but this does contribute in some small way to council operations.

 

As an aside - our guard at work purchased one of those $40 tins last year and the day I delivered it, I saw it open in a common area for anyone to help themselves. Obviously he ordered it solely to support scouts and not for the perceived value recieved. I've seen him do similar things with girl scouts cookies etc.

[madkins007]

AwHeck-

 

Supporting districts is a generally good thing, but I am trying hard not to go off on a rant about that!

 

As far as 'supporting Scouts'... the '10 Questions' on the fund-raising form mentions "4 . If a commercial product is to be sold, will it be sold on its own merits and without reference to the needs of Scouting, either directly (during sales presentations) or indirectly ?"

 

Fundraisers that attract more money than fair value because it 'supports Scouts' would seem to be in violation of this point.