The last of the hundreds of people who waited in line to enter Toys R Us were reaching the doors to the store at about 12:15 a.m. today when Devonte James, 14, carried his bag out of the store.

James and Keisha Anderson of Belleville had stood in line for hours to buy the Xbox 360 video game system, advertised for $229.95.

"We got here at 9 a.m.," Anderson said as the pair headed for their car. They were the first buyers to emerge from the store in Arborland Mall at US 23 and Washtenaw after Toys R Us opened at midnight.

They had been joined by over 1,000 fellow shoppers in a two- and three-person deep line that stretched nearly to Hiller's Market. Half of the Arborland parking lot was filled at midnight - with some spots opening as the first shoppers scored their deals then left.

The scene inside was controlled chaos as employees handed out tickets for the chance to buy from the electronics department, directed customers to sought-after toys and kept buyers focused on where to find the end of the line - which, within about 20 minutes, stretched through the baby department toward the back of the store.

The crowd kept its cool - and its humor - as parents, some wearing pajamas, wheeled carts loaded with playsets, art sets and the fast-sellout, LEGO Star Wars the Twilight for $59.99.

That spirit of friendly competition is one reason Angelica Duff of Ypsilanti likes Black Friday shopping, she said as she stood outside the store waiting for the line to end.

"You meet the nicest people," she said. "...I've never had bad experiences."

Duff was launching her fourth annual Black Friday outing this morning, bringing along her mother-in-law, Cris Duff, who called herself a "newbie."

Cris already has done most of her shopping for a list that includes her husband, two kids, their spouses and grandkids.

And she also has had bad Black Friday experiences in the past, keeping her away from the sales for about two decades.

Angelica persuaded her to come along this time for the adventure.

"And the prices," Cris added.

"There are good deals," Angelica said.

Next stops for the pair: Old Navy, right across the parking lot, which opens at 3 a.m. Then Bed Bath & Beyond, also in Arborland, "and Gamestop if I still have any life after that," Cris said.

Neither woman was shopping for any of the big toys advertised, so they didn't have to camp out in line.

But they were willing to by the time they finished at Toys R Us and headed over to Old Navy.

"If I have to," Angelica said. "I brought chairs."