The doorbell rings, and out front stands a troop member about to make her pitch to buy a box of Girl Scout Cookies.

But, Girl Scout’s efforts to sell box upon box of cookies goes well beyond that of door-to-door stops from one household to the other.

Just ask Patti Green, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA Palmerton Service Unit Manager.

“Every troop has to anticipate how many they’re going to sell,” Green said. “A lot of our local businesses, Country Harvest, the Family Dollar Store, allow us to set up cookie booths.”

Green said they have all the favorites, such as thin mints, caramel delights, peanut butter patties, even a gluten-free caramel chocolate chip.

However, this will be the last year of the Thanks-A-Lot (shortbread with chocolate backing) cookies, she said.

For those who aren’t into eating Girl Scout Cookies, Green noted they still accept donations through a Hometown Heroes program in which the girls decide who they think their heroes are, such as firefighters and police officers.

“They make a nice cookie basket,” she said. “We still ship cookies to soldiers.”

Despite being sold only three months out of the year, Green said Girl Scout Cookies are the No. 2 cookie sold in the country, behind only Oreo Cookies.

“Thin mints are our top sellers,” she said. “People love Girl Scout Cookies.”

Girl Scout cookie sales are “great so far,” according to Meghan Sander, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA Lehighton Service Unit secretary.

“Our troop personally has a goal of 3,000 boxes to sell so they can take an overnight trip to an indoor water park,” Sander said. Most of our girls aim to sell 500 boxes. If so, they are deemed a cookie boss, and they take you to a giant.”

Sander said the top sellers are easily the thin mints, Caramel deLites, and Peanut Butter Patties.

“The moneys we raise will run us through the end of the year,” she said. “We try to spend all the money on the girls who are active in the troop for the year.”

Sander noted they set up cookie booths each weekend from January through the first week in March at Lowe’s, Giant, Walmart or Mallard Market.

“What we did for the first year this year, we held a service unit cookie rally inviting all Lehighton Girl Scouts,” she said. “We did cookie crafts, practiced our sales booth techniques.”

But, that wasn’t all, Sander said.

“We did a blind taste test this year; we had all the girls taste them and all of them could tell (which was which),” she said. “Now, it’s just cookie booths all season long, the girls will go door to door.”

Sander said it’s been a real privilege to see the girls grow up.

“It’s been great watching some of the girls; seeing them get comfortable, get more and more confident and talking to teachers, learning math, watching them grow, it’s all good,” she said. “It’s all about entrepreneurship.”

Sander noted that the troops also participate in the Hometown Heroes program.

“Our slogan is ‘If you can’t eat ’em, treat ’em,’ ” she said. “Our Girl Scouts always give back to the community in some way.”

Both said Girls Scout cookie sales represent their biggest fundraiser of the year.

The sale of Girl Scout Cookies started Jan. 16, and they can be purchased up until March 8.