Apple's King Street store opens to fanfare, iPhone 3Gs, and free t-shirts

As was expected, Charleston’s Apple store opening created a line of some 200 waiting for iPhone 3Gs, or maybe just a free tee. In the end, South Carolina’s crowd would not be disappointed.

Check out our previous coverage on the Apple store for photos and more.The line had formed around 9:45 Friday night. Some 29 spent much of the night in the queue, and some 45 were in line by 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

First in line, James Heyward, 20, sported an Apple tattoo on his left arm and said was just happy to have the first receipt from the Charleston’s Apple store and iPhone. (update: We just spotted this photo of Heyward online, it’s incredible … and disturbing)

The crowd would eventually be moved to the other side of the street, and then back to the original side, and then down the street some. Why? Apple needed to shoot photos of its new store.

The line would eventually wrap down much of Liberty Street.Clapping and jeering Apple employees congregated in front of the store shortly before the store’s official opening time of 10 a.m., when fans and onlookers were at last let in to their just rewards.

Plenty of t-shirts (extra large only) were there to be given out, and ample iPhones were available for sale.

I, myself, took part in Saturday’s opening for the curiosity factor (and I had been thinking about bagging an iPhone). See, I’ve never waited in line for a product (PS2, Wii, iPhone or otherwise), and I wanted to see what it’s all about. Personally, it’s not an experience I’ll be repeating anytime soon.

Though, perhaps if I had brought a box-set of Risk …

At any rate, if you missed Saturday’s opening but still want a phone, the store opens at noon tomorrow, and Apple says all three models are in stock.

The Post and Courier has an excellent video of the opening, and there are oodles of photos on Flickr.

The Charleston store is the company’s first store in South Carolina. The store is located at 301 King Street, where Cumberland’s used to be: