The phenomenon might actually be driving people away from clown costumes.
The recent creepy clown craze isn't helping clown costume sales.
In fact, it might be having the opposite effect, costume shop ownerssay.
"I'm thinking people are steering away from all that because of all the problems," said Ned Giudice, a manager at Ken's Magic and Costume Shop in Fair Lawn.
Reports of eerie clown sightings have poured in from all over the country. And Target announced it would stop selling clown masks in response to the clown hysteria.
But there was no need at Giudice's store. He's there every day and no one has asked for any of the store's clown costumes.
A spokeswoman for Spirit Halloween, the Egg Harbor Township-based chain with more than 1,100 stores, said the company does not "encourage or associate with the recent clown sightings and we don't comment on police investigations."
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"But aren't these crazy times?" Trisha Lombardo, the spokeswoman, said in an email. "With clowns terrorizing the streets and a real life Joker running for president, we need Batman to save the day!"
Cliff Witmyer, owner of the Fun-Ghoul costume shop in Rutherford, said he hadn't seen a boost in clown costume sales either. But the clown-mania has had an effect on his event-planning business Cliffhanger Productions.
He's produced a "Psycho Circus" at the Rutherford Annual Halloween Spooktacular for the past three years. This year, citing recent events, town officials said no thanks, Witmyer said.
On the other hand, his clients for private Halloween events are clamoring for more.
"They were like, 'More and better creepy clowns,'" Witmyer said.
Anyway, he said, the costume isn't what makes for a creepy clown.
"What's making the clowns creepy is they're just standing there staring at you," Witmyer said. "So it's nothing special. It's all attitude."
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.