Expert consulted: Here’s everything you need to know when hunting for vintage Girl Scouts apparel, cookie boxes, badges, gear, and more. In general, items from the early days (1917–1930s) of the Girl Scouts are very hard to find and command a higher value. And, as always, age and condition are primary when determining values.*
Cookie Boxes
Cookie sales began in 1917 as a fundraiser for a single troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but quickly became a signature pillar of Girl Scout life. While cookie boxes and promotional posters aren’t as collected as badges or uniforms, there’s still a healthy appetite for certain items. Of particular note are the silhouette-adorned packages from 1936 to 1939 (white box, middle left), which were designed by popular female illustrator Jessie Gillespie and sell for as much as $35. (Although a very rare cardboard box from 1938–1939 recently sold for $250!)
Old cookie tin containers, such as this Tea Rings container (brown circular box, middle right) from the early 1930s, are popular with both Girl Scouts memorabilia and general cookie tin collectors, and some can sell for between $100 and $200, depending on rarity and condition. More commonly found cookie boxes from the 1960s and ’70s go for around $5 to $10 apiece, while even more recent boxes from the 1980s and ’90s can be found for under $5.
Apparel
From the beginning, Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low studied fabric swatches and pattern books to create an iconic look for her newly formed troops. Green proved the right hue to represent the organization, but uniform colors have varied through the years. Styles like the sash pictured here, worn by an Intermediate Scout from 1935 to 1940, can earn up to $600, thanks in part to the number of pins and badges it sports (35 in total, including “Woodcraft Scout,” “Star Gazer,” and the very desirable “Golden Eaglet”). A sash from the 1950s-60s with 10-15 badges is more likely to be in the $50 to $75 range.
A uniform from 1919 through the 1930s can bring up to $375 (complete uniforms with sash, badges, and pins bring top dollar), while newer items like a dress from the 1950s-1970s, the 1960s Senior uniform pictured here, or the camp swimsuit from the same era make a splash at $50 to $75. Small accessories such as mid-century wallets, watches, compacts, purses, hats (those with brims are more popular), and scarves sell in the $10 to $50 range.
Badges
These emblems have been coveted for decades and interest specifically in patches and badges from the 1930s has grown, sometimes bringing between $100 and $300 each. But while some unique badges like the circa-1934 “Golden Eaglet” may bring several hundred dollars, most pre-1970 badges usually cost about $10 each, while those post-1980s are in the $5 to $6 range. The prices noted in the photo above are 2017 prices for rare, pristine examples, but may not hold today as values have declined.
Gear
Girl Scouts took their “Be Prepared” motto to heart with a wealth of outdoor gear. By the 1930s, as enrollment soared to more than 200,000 members (up from a mere 18 in 1912), the organization regularly issued tools such as pocket knives, first-aid kits, match safes, and canteens emblazoned with their trefoil logo. Today these all have a value in the $20 to $40 range. More recent offerings such as an aluminum “Brownie” flashlight and the tartan canteen, both from the 1960s, fetch closer to $20.
Thanks to its pristine condition and fine craftsmanship, the cozy circa-1956 camp blanket has a value of $50. Look to novelty items such as the “Official Girl Scout Camera,” produced by the Herbert George Company in the 1950s, to capture approximately $15, while its short-lived predecessor, a charming mint-green model, can be snapped up for twice that amount.
As far as books go, Girl Scout Handbooks pre-1960 can be found for up to $40 and post-1960 for $3 to $5, cookbooks range from $12 to $15, and scrapbooks from $12 to $18. The exception would be anything early with Juliette Gordon Low’s image and an intro by her, which are usually valued at least $30.
*Appraisal Values Updated March 2026 by appraiser Marsha Dixey of Heritage Auctions. These values have been collected by averaging auction prices realized from different sources and may differ from prices on the same item offered for sale by a private dealer. An auction value is more or less based on rarity, condition, and desirability (bidding activity) of a specific maker, form, or pattern.
Consignment director at Heritage Auctions, Marsha Dixey has worked in the Americana historical and collectibles business as a dealer/collector since 1978. She is a widely acknowledged expert generalist, handling almost anything falling under the “Americana” umbrella. Her interest in American social history has made her an expert in women’s suffrage items and African Americana. After dealing in a general line of antiques including furniture, glassware and decorative Americana, Dixey followed her interest in premium antique advertising for years and served two years on the board of directors for the Antiques Advertising Association of America. Prior to coming to work for Heritage, she worked with Tom Slater at Slater’s Provenance Auctions in Indianapolis, Ind. Their success in auctioning Americana and sports collectibles became the foundation of Heritage Auctions’ historical department, which they started in 2005.
Marsha has appeared on Texas Storage Wars and several radio broadcasts discussing collectibles, their pricing and popularity.
