Black Friday shopper surge

At malls and big-chain stores, crowds gather in the dark for super specials. TVs, laptops selling out. Analysts wonder if the enthusiasm will last through the holidays.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Black Friday 2007 bargain frenzy kicked off just after midnight as throngs of shoppers shrugged off Thanksgiving Day fatigue to grab early bird sales on flatscreen TVs, clothes, jewelry and toys.

Many retailers offered "doorbuster deals," which are special sales offered only for the first few hours on Black Friday. Some chains, including Kohl's and J.C. Penney (Charts, Fortune 500), opened at 4 a.m. nationwide.

Electronics - especially high-definition plasma and LCD TVs, GPS navigation devices, Apple's iPhone and MP3 players - were expected to be among the most sought-after items.

The first big shopping day of the holiday season also attracted plenty of international shoppers, taking advantage of weakness in the dollar.