New York stores said Big Bird costumes have been flying off the shelves since Mitt Romney dropped the "Sesame Street" character's name in last week's debate.

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Costume shops including Halloween Adventure and Ricky's said Big Bird costumes have been top sellers ever since the Republican presidential nominee named the character when talking about his plans to end the federal subsidy to PBS, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Maddie Gerety, product manager for Disguise Costumes in Poway, Calif., the officially licensed manufacturer of Sesame Street costumes, said Big Bird costume sales have risen sharply in the past week, particularly in adult male sizes.