Traffic was light on I-94 this afternoon, but the parking lot was jammed at Halloween Express in the State Fair Park. You know what that means: panic time for costume shoppers.

Much like the annual Christmas crunch, procrastinators were looking for that perfect party getup.

During a recent stop at Halloween Express, I asked a sales clerk which items were the top sellers this season.

Surprisingly, she said that decor items were big. People were buying life-size ghouls, goblins and Hannibal Lecter likenesses for their yard and homes.

As for costumes, it's a big year for politicians. Obama and McCain masks and even George W. Bush and Bill and Hilary Clinton are big.

The clerk said that she's talke to plenty of women who are dressing as Sarah Palin for the night, too.

Other top sellers include The Joker, pirates and witches.