Palin costumes fly off store shelves

DALLAS, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. costume store managers say dressing as Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is wildly popular this year, costume purveyors say.

The Dallas Morning News said sales of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain masks are also good.

Karen Miller, assistant manager at Party City at Medallion Center in northeast Dallas, said Palin masks would be flying off store shelves, if they were still available.

"We had Palin masks two weeks ago, but we sold out within a few days," Miller said. "Right now I have a few Obamas and a few McCains, and that's it."

Buycostumes.com, which offered paper masks of Palin, has sold 4,000 copies of the governor's likeness, said Karen Van Ert, marketing director of the online store, based in New Berlin, Wis.

"We put together Sarah Palin kits" -- with wigs and glasses -- "early last week, but we're completely sold out," she said.

Rubie's Costumes in Queens, N.Y., which began selling latex Palin masks right after the Republican National Convention in early September, has run out of their stocks too.

"We went through our entire production in four days. I've never seen a political costume sell out that quickly," said Executive Vice President Howard Beige.