MSCHF pokes fun at capitalism by baking scout cookies only intended for resale

Ready to be a MSCHF Scout Cookies reseller?

MSCHF Scout Cookies are here, so aspiring scouts can buy their wholesale quantities and resell them at a higher price. The stunt steps away from accessories like the AstroBoy-inspired boots and the chunky shoes, as well as the leather handbag designed by supply chains. This time, the art collective may be poking fun at capitalism and child labor, or both, or either of the two, with the Scout Cookies ploy. They’re even packaged in boxes inspired by retro or vintage aesthetics with, of course, a photo of a child in the middle.

On the cookies’ site, MSCHF writes that ‘the youth in God’s country must learn to sell.’ In return, the MSCHF Scout earns their profit by reselling the cookies at a markup. The art collective gives an example: ‘if you resell all 528 boxes of cookies for $15 each, you will net $6,296 in earnings!’ It’s not just the baked cookies that MSCHF sells to the aspiring scouts. It’s a whole kit, complete with 528 boxes of cookies and four scout uniforms comprising four sashes, four hats, four shirts, four neckerchiefs, four slides, four sale-guide brochures, and some patches. There are only three kits available, and so far, they’re all sold out.

all images courtesy of MSCHF

from kit to profit, cookies for resale via child labor

MSCHF claims that its Scout Cookies are intended for resale via child labor. ‘Imagine if our salesman is, in fact, an adorable child, backed by an organization synonymous with the ever-youthful, temporarily-inconvenienced-billionaire optimism of the American Dream? Now we’re cooking with gas,’ the art collective pens in their Scout Manifesto. Business and art meet in MSCHF’s Scout Cookies conceptual project, and the air of ‘the rich get richer’ blows along with capitalism and labor exploitation.

The tone of sarcasm drips along the manifesto, with writings like ‘what’s a red-blooded all-American youth to do but SELL SELL SELL!’ and ‘commercial enterprise is not only core to the organization but core to AMERICA, baby!’ It may feel as if those who have already bought the kit might have subjected themselves to the cycle and routine of the corporate rich. MSCHF might spotlight this when they claim that, allegedly, over a billion dollars of cookies are sold each year, yet the young scouts aren’t the ones walking home with that amount.

the MSCHF Scout Cookies are available in mint, caramel, and peanut butter

competition between MSCHF Scout cookies resellers

To heighten the youth’s business experience, selling MSCHF’s Scout Cookies is a competition. Producing only three kits is the first step. Next, those who bought are now founding members of the MSCHF Scout Troop, and each order contains a unique sash color to differentiate the troops. ‘You either become the MSCHF Scout Troop or you buy from the MSCHF Scout Troop,’ says MSCHF. The price of each box is just over three USD, so as long as the buyers sell them for more than that, they can earn a profit.

This can imply that those who have the kit can drive the selling price higher, similar to how businesses and enterprises work. ‘Remember: Close. The. Deal. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to make it work. Alternatively, you can eat them all yourself, we would respect that,’ adds MSCHF. The art collective also mentions that for a scout badge or sticker, underage children sell cookies for their employers. At times, even their families are the ones buying the cookies. ‘We bring up our children right in this country: From the moment they hit middle school, we fold them seamlessly into the production of alienated labor,’ writes MSCHF.

there are 528 boxes of cookies included in the kit