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iPhone 5 goes on sale at Grand Central Apple Store (pictures)

Throngs of customers lined up as early as 7:30 last night to get the iPhone 5. Photos from the Grand Central Station Store this morning...

Sarah Tew
I'm a visual storyteller, working primarily in the medium of photography and photoshop. I listen to more podcasts than I can keep up with and enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, and am striving for a sustainable lifestyle. A big-picture thinker, I am always trying to put the pieces together, and though things are scary these days, I believe humanity will pull through.
Sarah Tew
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1 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Just an otherwise normal morning at Grand Central Station in NYC...
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2 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
But you'll see some apple employees directing customers to the line which has formed for the iPhone 5 which goes on sale here at 8am.
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3 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Eager shoppers have been herded into one of the humid lower areas of the train station and roped off.
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4 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Alex Cardenas is the first on line, though there was some confusion about who was here first (Apple only officially sanctioned a line in this location around 5:15am when the terminal opened).
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5 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Shivanand Manraj, claims he was actually first in line when he arrived last night at 7:30pm... then lost his spot in the shuffle downstairs.
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6 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Those in line were given little vouchers to prove that they'd been on the line...
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7 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Karim Horaoui actually flew to NYC from his home in Morocco just to buy the iPhone 5 and be "the first in his country" to have one.
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8 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Around 7:30 the line was moved upstairs and out of our view.
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9 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Alex Cardenas proudly walks first.
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Police keep an eye on the action as customers are escorted upstairs.
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11 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Jonathan Green was out of the store as soon as he made his purchase, desperate to use a bathroom. He got on line at 2am.
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12 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Yuki an Marki Lin both bought phones-- one each for themselves and one for a relative back home in China.
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13 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Yousra Atmen is thrilled with her purchase thus far.
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14 of 14 Sarah Tew / CBS Interactive
Karim Haraoui can't wait to show off his new iPhone back home in Morocco.

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