Today, an acquaintance (I’ll call her “Laura”) asked me if I would buy some Girl Scout cookies from her daughter’s troop. I told her “No thank you.”
It’s not that I don’t enjoy eating Girl Scout cookies (I do enjoy Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies). It’s not that I generally oppose the activities of Girl Scouts. I approve of much of what Girl Scouts do.
Here’s what triggered this post. Laura told me that the average box of cookies sells for three dollars and that the average profit for each box of cookies is only fifty cents. Hmmmm.
Therefore, I can support their Girl Scouts to the same extent by handing $5 directly to the local troop or by buying $30 worth of cookies. Unless you think that eating cookies is an especially good thing, it makes much more sense to simply hand the local troop $5. Then again, eating cookies, especially a lot of cookies, is not a good thing. Cookies consist largely of refined carbohydrates and sugars. These are exactly the kinds of ingredients that invite obesity. Are the Girl Scouts concerned about obesity? Very much so (so am I), yet they continue to rely on cookie sales to fund their activities.
But let’s go back to the money for a moment. If you click here, you can see it stated that “all of the revenue” from cookie sales “stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale.” The official site carefully points out that individual troops receive “from 12-17% of the purchase price of each box sold.” There are various important numbers that the site does not provide, however. For instance, is $.50 per box (the amount indicated to me by my acquaintance) the average amount of proceeds per box sold (as Laura indicated)? If so, the 12-17% of the purchase price of each box sold amounts to $.45 per box, which means that most of the proceeds go to the local troop. If true, it would be commendable. But we don’t know, because the Girl Scout organization does not specify how much profit is involved in the sale of each box of cookies.
All of this makes me wonder, because the Girl Scout organization is based in the middle of one of the highest rent districts in the world, 420 5th Ave in Manhattan. That’s where 400 employees work for the Girl Scout organization. But nowhere on the site will you find anything about the sales information I just mentioned, or other things I wonder, such as the salaries and perks of these 400 employees. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how much money it takes to run that fancy headquarters? How about a pie chart showing the sources of that money? Nowhere will you find the amount of that annual cookie profit money that flows back to the Girl Scout headquarters from determined efforts of little girls. Wouldn’t that be interesting to know? I suspect that, indirectly, cookie money flows back to the Girl Scout headquarters at a brisk rate. I’d be interested in knowing for sure, though, especially since my client has told me that the local troops have to purchase their own badges and other supplies with their own money. Much of what local Girl Scout troops do is not subsidized by cookie profits. I don’t know how much aggregate cookie profit is generated each year, because that is not on the website either. Maybe those cookie-revenue numbers are just too big to fit on the official Girl Scout webpage!
I have occastionally supported local Girl Scouting activity, despite my concerns with the financially opaque corporate hierarchy. I’ve decided, though, that my solution will now be to offer a direct donation to the local troop, just as I mentioned at the top of this post. Five dollars handed to a little girl who approaches you to sell cookies is the equivalent of buying $30 worth of cookies, and you can rest assured that all of that money will stay with the local troop. If you really want to get good bang for the buck and you usually buy $30 for the cookies, just hand the full $30 to local troop–that’s like buying $180 worth of cookies. In the process, everyone will be healthier and the local troop will be flush with cash to spend on those badges and other supplies that the national organization refuses to buy for them.
The Girl Scout cookie phenomenon raises an interesting issue about the way Americans think of charities. Why is it that people insist on getting something back for themselves in order to donate money to allegedly good causes? The Girl Scout cookie phenomenon is a classic case of this need for a quid pro quo. If someone really believed in the Girl Scouts, they shouldn’t need to receive cookies in return for supporting the Girl Scouts. Rather, they would just hand the local troop some money (as I’ve suggested above).
This problem (the need for a quid pro quo when soliciting for charities), is not peculiar to Girl Scouts. It’s everywhere you look. Almost every institutional charity offers stuff to people who donate. Mugs, T-shirts, videos, CDs, plaques, special access to celebrities, umbrellas, admissions to amusements, paperweights, inscribed souvenirs, admission to concerts or other special events.
Sometimes an organization will invite you to turn down any sort of gift. Kudos for those people who do so, those people who realize that demanding a gift in return for their contribution effectively reduces their contribution. They realize that those mugs, T-shirts and cookies are not free. And furthermore, who really needs more stuff of that sort?
All of this makes me wonder what kind of people we’ve become that so many of us insist on getting substantial amounts of stuff back in order to “contribute” to charities. I would suspect we’ve reached new levels of proficiency at being rampant consumers. See here and here .
Admittedly, this need for a quid pro quo is nothing new. After all, people were selling indulgences hundreds of years ago. But now, it is also much more visible and so widely accepted. It makes me frustrated enough to go eat half a box of Thin Mints. If only I had bought those cookies . . .
Our local troop receives .60 per box sold. Although this is not a lot, it provided my personal troop with over $700 last year to fund our service projects. We baked dog biscuits for the humane society. We washed & brushed horses for a non-profit horse therapy ranch. We sent diapers to Malawi for children whos parents had died from AIDS. We planted flowers at our elementary school. Our girls stuffed build a bears for the chilren's cancer ward at our hospital. They learned to manage their earned income.
As a troop leader, and the Service Unit manager (volunteer), I can tell you that I spend a large amount of money out of my own pocket to fund events & activities. We are able to take cash donations from individuals as well as business, as long as we have documentation. The one thing we can't do is solicit funds for a seperate organization. For example – we can't ring the bell at Christmas time for Salvation Army. We can however give money to that organization with our cookie money. If that is what the entire troop decides to do.
I think the Girl Scout cookie sales is successful mainly because of the nostalgia. Girl Scouts, at least my troop are growing into individuals who have empathy and a good work ethic. I'm proud to be a part of their lives when so many parents aren't able to. Awwww…doesn't that make you want to curl up with a mug of hot cocoa, a box of samoas, and sing kumbaya?
After reading through all the above comments, this issue has me giving you my 2 cents. I agree with those who are leaders in what they are saying about what the girls are learning from their experiances however we also must look at this "new" up and coming Girl Scout movement. What I see are people who have never been in the volunteer pool to understand what they need to do to keep a troop running. It is easy for they to tell us how to run a troop whey they are in the cooperate world. OUr girls try to live by the GSLaw and Promise. The board of directors and council staff quote the same Promise and Law but I really don't think that it means as much to them. Thank you for seeing what I have been observing for the past 2-3 yrs. I have been a part of this organization for over 10 years (leader, SUM, SUT member mainland and overseas) and with all the down sizing (mergers) of councils and the pockets of the CEO's, COO's or whatever they are going to call themselves this year, the funds are not coming back to the service units nor the troops as they say. Juilette Low gave up her pearls willingly to keep her dream alive. The 'suits' running this NON PROFIT organization are now becoming mini monopolies 'telling' us how it will be (with no integrity). Oh the money may come down in form of training but when you have large amounts of donations given to councils with the 'thought' that they are going to stay within your county or working area of scouting, YOU ARE WRONG (here in our area). Those monies that are collected from profit and non profit organizations stay at the council level and Service Units don't see a dime. For example, the United Way in our town gave a VERY large generous donation to our Servic Unit (SU) with the thought that the money would be used with in our county. They were tapped the following year to give more. When they asked what happen to the money, they were told that since the donation(in year of 2004) was over $250 dollars that the check had to go to the council to then be dispursed back to us. However we never nor have we yet recieved any of those funds and it is now 2007. The council will rebutal to tell you that they give it back to us in form of trainings and programs as I have already mentioned. However, alot of the girls in the scouting movement in THIS county(which is one SU) are below poverty and have no transportation to attend an event that is over 45 minuates away and have to pay to attend. Come on, That is not right. Thank you for seeing the 'true' picture of the cookie sales.
My suggestion holds true as one of the other writers. Donate DIRECTLY to that particular troop.
My daughter recently joined Daisies. We had to pay for her little apron, patches, etc., which is fine. Our troop leader recently attended 2 1/2 hours of cookie training (with more to come), and I was appalled at what she came back with.
1. Although the Girl Scout official web site states clearly that Daisies are not ALLOWED to sell cookies or anything else, the local leaders are insisting they HAVE to. That is, of course, a local issue, but I doubt it's unique to this area.
2. Each child is given a quota, and for ours it is 254 boxes each,, raising $114. If we take out the Daisies, the quota would be higher. I have been involved with numerous fund raisers at schools, etc., and the girls could make a LOT more money in a lot less time with a myriad of other projects – but (and this one really steamed me)
3. They are NOT ALLOWED to conduct any other fund raiser until they have conducted a cookie drive!
4. You know those camps and retreats part of this is supposedly paying for? That includes retreats for the leaders, to 'destress' after the cookies drives. No kids allowed – but the troop can pay for it out of cookie money.
I got my daughter into Daisies for the opportunity to meet with other little girls her age, have some fun, learn some things, do some community service. None of that needs to cost huge amounts of money, and it didn't way back when I was in scouts. The parents of our troop are pulling out of scouts and just continuing without the organization's umbrella. Some of the older groups are talking about following suit.
I'll buy Girl Scout cookies. I have no problem with that at all. Perhaps some of you holy-than-thou "people" out there are just sitting around all day wondering whose day you can ruin next. While I am a B___ to an extent, I'm proud to say I'm not that big of a B_____. Good luck to all of you who want to put an end to Girl Scout Cookies.
Oh, by the way, my daughter joined Girl Scouts and started out as a Daisy – I wasn't, not at all, surprised by all the things you have to pay for – all organizations (greedy, money hungry organizations) are the ones to blame, not the innocent little girls that just want to "be the best".
Oh, another by the way, does anybody out there have two (2) (2 mind you) cases of Samoas – my source just stop selling them because her daughter has grown out of the Girl Scouts and is going to college. Good for her. So, I need another source. Anybody?
It's the quota that bothers me. I don't want to make my child schlep boxes of cookies door to door. Quotas are for sales people — not kids.
First I would like to say that the girls do not have quotas. That is just plain stupid. The girls set goals that they would like to reach as does the troop. The money that is earned can be used any way the troop wants. Selling cookies is one way to teach children responsibility and team work. Not to mention how to deal with rejection. When they are told no they don't throw a fit and cry about it. They smile and tell that person thanks anyway and have a nice day. If you don't have a daughter in girl scouts then I don't believe you have any idea of how things work. I am a troop co-leader and my troop cookie mom so I know how it works. Yes the troop only gets .50 per box but the rest of the money goes to our local council and some of it goes to the whole organization to help those that are less fortunate. And they do have some cookies that are low calorie. So just quit complaining about everything and buy some cookies. If nothing else it will make that girl scout smile. What else could make your day better than to make a child smile. People in this world need to quit being so self serving and take the time to think of others and to remember kindness goes a long way.
They are not called Samoas anymore they are called Carnel Delights and yes I have some. Where are you. I am in TX
And Ami Just to let you know Daisy scouts are NOT allowed to sell anything. They are not allowed to handle money at all. Cookie sells start with Brownies and Fall Products come first. Brownies are not allowed to any other fund raisers than Fall Products and Cookies. As for the retreat fosr the leaders – I have never heard of such but please forward that info to me. LOL I am just kidding – I think I will wait until after softball and baseball end before I take a "retreat"
Here's Andy Rooney deconstructing Girl Scout cookies (this is from 2006).
I have been a leader for 8 years now, and I understand that cookies are a necessary part of the GS year. Yes, it is a lot of work — for both the adults and the girls — but what is worth having if you don't work hard for it? Should everything always be given to us? Each troop is run differently (depends on the leader) but I know that my girls put total effort into the cookie sale. They are polite, they are involved and a "No, thank you" is accepted as graciously as a "Yes, I want to buy 50 boxes, please." I just wish that the people giving the "No, thank you" were half as gracious about declining our offers of GS cookies.
I can not believe the abundance of negative comments posted on this subject. I am not only the mother of 2 girl scouts, but also in charge of the cookie sales for one daughter's troop. The amount of $ provided to the troops and council has already been accurately covered so I won't go into that…however GROW UP! These are little girls in small troops with parent leaders just trying to earn some money to support their own troop and the organization they belong to. Buy the cookies, don't buy the cookies, it doesn't matter. Basically you are insulting every young girl and the volunteer efforts of mothers across the country who are just trying to teach their children a little something about teamwork, business, and charity. Something you could all benefit from learning a little more about. Get off your "high horses" and find something REAL to complain about. And next time you are going to insult those of an entire organization at least have the decency to get your facts straight! (Every negative comment I read on this site had inaccurate information posted.)
Amy: Another grown-up responsibility in blog-land is that when you see incorrect information, don't just whine about it. Provide links to the correct information so that everyone can benefit.
If you read the original post carefully, you will realize that I did not insult "an entire organization," but only its curious sugary and apparently inefficient method of getting contributions. I never disparaged the aims or activities of girl scouts (versus the Girl Scout bureacracy).
Curious sight today- the receptionist in the building where I work has the selves above her desk FULLY STOCKED with girl scout cookies. By this I mean at least 200 boxes of cookies. I guess her granddaughter needed help peddling them. I wish I could get a photo, but I don't think I am stealthy enough.
Anyway, my naive guess as to why the Girl Scouts keep selling fairly unprofitable cookies is because they are stuck with a very deep-rooted tradition. They've "always done it", and parents would be aghast if the much-loved cookie tradition stopped, so little incentive exists to shake things up.
I believe that the value of cookie sales lies in the troop leaders and the girl scouts themselves. Aside from the "corrupt corporation that has a monopoly on the cookie sales market and opperates under a guise of charity", there can be value in cookie sales. If the girl herself does her best to sell, there is something to be gained. I was a girl scout for seven years and participated in sales through all of them. I was a girl, however, who did not learn much through the process. I was shy and hated selling door-to-door, therefore I left much of effort to my parents (my mother was my troop leader), who, I'm sad to say, sold the majority of the boxes for all years. Over the years, I didn't get much out of sales… well, I suppose I have a few stuffed turtles and frog necklaces lying around from my prizes. Anyway…
Even though I did not have a good experience in sales, there are thousands of girls nation-wide that do. Through cookies, they become a much more out-going, goal-oriented, and, perhaps, successful person. They learn to manage money and keep crucial papers organized. They also learn customer/public interraction which is a skill lacking in many elementary girls. The girls that embrace the process as it is designed benefit greatly. Even though I wasn't one of these girls, I know many who were.
In conclusion, there is still great reason for cookie sales. Everything has a good side and a bad side, no matter the issue. There are always pros and cons. The individual, therefore, must make their own informed decision. However, if I may make a suggestion… If you still buy cookies (I admit I buy a box of Tagalongs every year), don't buy from the parents. If it is a mother selling door-to-door or an order form hanging in the office breakroom consider who you are REALLY buying from. At the least, ask the parent if their daughter is selling cookies along with them. If the parents are selling, the girl has far less chance of benifitting socially or emotionally. Consider this- if the parents are ones who are willing to take on a process as arduous as cookie sales, the girl probably already has a plethura of stuffed animals and trinkets. They really don't need another to adorn their shelf. All the girl gets, aside from their useless incentive prizes, is a false sense of pride and bragging rights with her troop-mates about the number of boxes "she" sold. This not only falsely inflates that girl's confidence but also deflates that of the girls who sell by themselves without parent help and simply aren't experienced enough to sell in such a quantity. Just think about it… and enjoy your Thin Mints.
Hello,
Just wanted to educate you a little on the sales of Girl Scout cookies…
Things do get misinterpretted when it comes to the proceeds… even though the troop doesn't get a huge profit (we get between 50-60 cents, depending on troop sales), we teach the girls to be a sister to every girl scout… to help pther at all times… to make the world a better place…
We still benefit from ALL the cookie sales. The remaining profit keeps up our camps, helps offset 100's of girls programs and helps financial aid girls who otherwise couldn't afford these opportunities. — we have a girl in our troop, who only pays 10% of every program, because her family can't afford much extra, the rest of the cost is covered by Girl Scouts. This is why we sell girl scout cookies.
To put it in perspective…
Below is the information of where the money is divided.
46%
Program events & resources
Volunteer recruitment & training
Financial Aid
Summer Camp
Maintenance & operation of all program/camping facilities
34% – Cost of cookies & sale expenses
17% – Troop proceeds
3% – Cost of recognitions
Just thought I would inform you,
Have a wonderful day!
Girl Scouts – Where Girls Grow Strong!!
As a leader of 2 troops (both Brownies), I ran across this board by accident but found it very interesting reading. Although I will say that I am SO over cookies right now, both my troops have cleared over $900 profit with not so much effort. My girls go door-to-door and have booth sales. While daddy does sell at the office, my girls go and hand-deliver every box. I recently took my older girls on their first camping trip- I think we paid $25 a girl for a night with all food and activities included. We encourage our girls to sell 75 boxes to get their patch for their vest but if they don't, no biggie. We do our best to distribute the "awards" so everyone gets something- and my top seller went to camp for free! All in all, I think it's a great program and as they tell you in Weight Watchers- from a health standpoint, sure you can eat the cookies, just don't eat the whole box!
I have to agree that it would make more sense to just hand them 5 bucks and pass on the cookies….more of the money actually goes to help them out. I would have less of a problem with their cookies if they were a more organic non processed sugars based snack food. These processed sugars don't just make people over weight, they are diseasing us.
hey,
I am a troop leader of my troop for 4 full years,
I agree totally with your thinking.
The girls should earn more money for their work.
I have 3 girls in my troop they pushing each year the 1000 box mark & plus and what they get $ 150 store money (GS store) & some prizes, the better prizes starts at 1500 & 2000 and so on.
With 3.50 a box it is alomost un posible to sell more as 1000 boxes.
My daughter is 9 years old, she works in 2 months more as an avarage adult in 2 months.
This means me as a mother too, on tap of regular work.
5-8pm fridays, 8am -8pm saturday & sunday. plus walking around with me & her friend every night for add 3-4 hours to sell the 1000 boxes.
The law of the booth, no eating & sitting or drinking or use of restroom.
We earnd this year for the troop less than $1500 but gave to the conciul over $16000. do the math lol.
One thing what change by GS USA next year is little girls only 5 years old, starting selling cookies.
I will print this flyer and bring it to the next service unit meeting.
As a troop leader of 11 years, I have found that noone will give without something in return. We have an annual donation drive just like Boy Scouts, but personally, I don't like teaching the girls to beg for money. I'd rather they earn it — and gain a few skill sets in the process.
Selling these cookies is a great learning tool for the girls. If a leader is doing his/her work, the cookie sale teaches the girl about supply/demand, capitalism, salesmanship, product knowledge, customer service, budgeting, forecasting, and 'corporate' giving. Each program level (Brownies through Seniors) have badge work available that complements the sale and helps the girls understand each and every one of these concepts in a way that is appropriate to their age level. No, we don't teach the girls about the dirty underbelly of corporate America. The world will teach them that in due time.
Girl Scouts is not about making money (although we have to have some income to keep things running). We are about teaching girls and exposing them to experiences that they may not otherwise have seen. At their stages in life, this sale gives them tools to help them understand the working world. I find some girls are really interested in how the cookies are manufactured, others in the sales process, others are into the financial aspect and still others love coming up with the sales strategies (posters, locations, etc.). Try to find a non-scout kid at age 10 who has even heard of manufacturing, marketing, sales, profit, or supply and demand. Good luck.
These topics, along with the hundreds of other areas available for Scouts, help these girls make decisions about their choices in years to come. Maybe math and science doesn't seem so scary with these real-world experiences. Public speaking won't freak them out so much when they've had to go door-to-door to chat with complete strangers. Some of those goals they set for themselves might just seem a little more attainable since they've learned how to set and reach goals which at the time seemed huge. We've also instilled giving a percentage of our own profits back to the Council's Grants For Girls program that helps scouts in financial need.
Let's also not forget that not all Girl Scouts are cute 7 year old Brownies. My girls are now Juniors in high school and have been participating in sales since 1st grade. Each year, we focus on a more advanced aspect of the sale as well as have the girls take on more and more responsibility. They may not have had the same sense of accomplishment in 2nd grade as they do now in 11th, but they are definitely more educated. No amount of profit can give that same return on investment.
Proud to be part of the cookie sale — even if we earn absolutely nothing!
I grew up in a small, rusted town that was fortunate to have a gas station. Our school was made entirely out of tin buildings that closely resembled barns. When there was nothing else being offered to young girls and young women, Girl Scouts were there. I was a daisy, then a brownie, then a junior, and finally a Girl Scout. Cookie sales were not about money, it was in part about competition-being the best saleswoman in your troop-but it was fun. People don't buy Girl Scout cookies because they feel guilty about turning down those adorable faces, they buy them because they are in fact delicious! I don't know anyone besides half starved bimbos who doesn't enjoy eating a couple Samoas or Thin Mints once a year. A word to the wise, they do have low fat and sugar free versions! Girl Scouts made me a strong, moral, and caring woman. I finished college in two and half years because I learned to never give up and to reach for your dreams in girl scouts. I made countless friends and even more memories. If you want to bash a group of people, leave the girl scouts out of it. We are an American tradition, a tradition that is actually worth having!
YOU ARE A COOKIE NAZI! Maybe you need medication! Or maybe a BIG BOX OF GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!
all of you nay-sayers and dnouncers please climb off your high horse. all you organic food junkies please dont hiurt yourselves jumping on the band wagon.
now that thats out let get to the issue.
girl scout cookies are delicious. period and point blank. they are only available once a year.of course there fattening but no one said eat 76 boxes of samoas in one sitting.two thin mints a day arent going to add 30 lbs.
oh and ou organic non processed sugar junkies guess what? you're gonna die anyway so why not enjoy life(and food{especially cookies}) while you can!
I think GS cookies are tasty. I agree, we do many things that are not healthy for us; I work out 5 days a week and eat healthy.. but I cannot resist those damnable samoa cookies! Aren't the cookies sold by season? And don't the girls do other things during the remainder of the year? I'm sorry, but I will not give my annual treat of a box of samoas. I just won't do it.
I think it's interesting that many of you claim that Girl Scout Cookies are an absolutely terrible thing to eat because of the hydrogenated oils they contain. Did you ever think that just about EVERYTHING we eat has hydrogenated oils? Peanut butter and cold cereals for example. Things people eat almost daily! I'm currently pregnant with my first child, and my doctor explained the dangers of hydrogenated oils. Stay away from them. Got it. The next time I went grocery shopping, I bought next to NOTHING that I would've normally bought, because everything America eats contains those hydrogenated oils. My doctor said to stay away from them, because they're unhealthy. He didn't tell me that if I ate them, I would die. Food for thought.
Also, many people claim that "Girl Scout Cookies make you fat! They contribute to the 'obesity epidemic' in the country!" False. The only thing that contributes to the obesity epidemic is you. You choose what goes into your mouth. You choose to keep active and exercise or not. People that blame McDonald's for making them fat need to step back and realize that they CHOSE to eat there. If you knew it was making you fat, why did you make the choice to eat there for lunch every day? Same with these cookies. As many before me have stated, there's no directions label on any of the boxes that says, "1-Buy 100 Boxes of each cookie 2-Eat 50 each day 3-Get fat!" The girls don't tell you to eat them in one sitting. Buy a case, sure! Donate to the cause, sure! But eat in moderation. When you've over-indulged yourself, get off your butt, quit posting on sites like these about how you're fat, and take a 20 minute jog around your neighborhood! It's not hard. Americans are just lazy. End of story.
Those who claim that the Girl Scout's PARENTS do all the work should be blaming the parents then, not the Girl Scouts themselves. Many parents automatically assume they have to sell for their children, and take the liberty all on their own. There are many ways for the girls to market these cookies without their parents' help. Simple neighborhood door-to-door, people from church, teachers at school, soccer coaches, swim teachers and the like. If the girls ask their parents for help and the parents oblige, let them be! It's their choice.
Why, oh why did such an innocuous-seeming topic create such a long burning fervor? I was a Girl Scout (only a Brownie, actually), and GS parents and troop leaders always seemed mellow to me. I never would have guessed this post would prove so infuriating to GS parents and leaders. Pointing out the flaws in the GS cookie fundraising system, and reminding us that we cannot rationalize the buying and eating of junk food by tacking it on to a good cause does not make Erich a cookie Nazi.
I should also point out that GS cookies are not the only over priced, overall wasteful item peddled to parents as a form of fundraiser. Public schools in dire need of funds resort to selling a lot of useless things- magazine subscriptions, tin boxes of candies and nuts, cartons of Christmas wrapping paper, and many more things frequently appearing in middle- and high school fundraising catalogs. Students are pressed on to sell these items with the promise of cheap "prizes"- I remember in middle school I once received a stuffed beaver with a zippered tail as my reward for selling 20 magazine subscriptions. I would guess that in most cases, the schools who usually pay to take part in these fundraisers get a very slim percentage in the end.
So along with girl scout cookies, abstain from magazines, candy bars, Christmas tins, and other goods sold by impressionable babes.