I bought these WAY out of season, for my daughter's class at school, learning about different holidays. Since they were so far out of season, I didn't expect the freshest, but was partially hoping they'd be a little fresher. They came very well packaged, but they were definitely last Easter's leftovers...possibly the Easter before. Most of them were the perfect 'stale', nobody really likes the overly soft peeps anyway, do they? One of the four packages was hard as a rock though. We are happy with the purchase! Where else was I going to find Easter peeps at Thanksgiving time, without digging in a dumpster or paying a grip for them! If you're looking for really soft, fresh peeps, these aren't for you, but if you buy yours early, to be chewy-er these are perfect!