Numbers

By Melissa August, Elizabeth L. Bland, Victoria Rainert, Deirdre Van Dyk, Rebecca Winters And Yi Zhou

$2.5 billion Amount spent in U.S. on Halloween costumes, candy and decorations in 1995

$6.9 billion Amount expected to be spent by Americans on Halloween this year

26 Average number of months it takes to sell a $2 million-plus home in Houston

5 Average number of months it takes to sell a $100,000-to-$300,000 home in Houston

Sources: National Retail Federation, USA Today

UPDATE

BONDS' HOMERS The battle between two San Francisco Giants fans over who owns the baseball Barry Bonds knocked over the fence for his historic 73rd home run in 2001 has gone to court after four failed settlement efforts. And four men fighting over the ball from Bonds' 600th homer in August, meanwhile, have settled peacefully, agreeing to split sale proceeds.

SIGNS

OH, BROTHER Connecticut Republican Dennis Cleary, a 10-year veteran of the state legislature, faces trouble in the general election. His brother placed an ad in a local paper that reads, "We are tired of Dennis. Are you?" His sister told another paper she and her mother are voting for his opponent.