Gray skies and turkey hangovers weren't enough to keep diehard sale-seekers away from local businesses early yesterday and throughout Black Friday.

The key to a successful shopping excursion, shoppers said, was to start early, pinpoint essential "doorbusters" and, if possible, avoid the bigger venues.

Electronics such as laptops and flat-panel television sets were among this year's hot-ticket items, according to retailers. At Best Buy in Concord, manager Steve Gustin said a line stretched around the building before the store opened at 5 a.m. and continued to replenish itself for hours afterward. Selling out quickly were netbooks and PCs, gaming systems and video games, he said.

"There was definitely a longer line of people waiting outside this morning than there was last year," Gustin said. "I think it's a good sign that consumer confidence is bouncing back. At least we hope it is."

The hordes of customers who swarmed Steeplegate Mall appeared to be in good spirits as they darted between stores and stood patiently in long lines.

Fresh from an excursion at Old Navy, Heather Nelson of Manchester and her sister took a break in the food court, as her daughter modeled a new cream-colored peacoat beside piles of shopping bags. Yesterday was about finding clothes for the ladies, she said; Christmas shopping for others would come later.

"There are a lot of good sales today," Nelson said. "We got what we came for and then some."

At the Loudon Road Walmart, employee Courtney Norton of Concord was fresh off a shift, waiting for a car to pick her up with her new LCD television. The store let people in at 4:30 a.m. - when she arrived - but didn't sell anything until 5:30. Other TVs like hers sold out "almost instantly," she said.

"It was a zoo in here, in my opinion, but it's my first year. I heard it

wasn't that bad, (and) it's usually a lot worse," Norton said. "I don't have plans to shop after this. I never go out on Black Friday, it's just crazy."

Inside Walmart, a small boy's eyes lit up when he saw customer Richard Ward, whose white hair and bushy beard bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus's. 'Does this suit make me look fat?' Ward's shirt read.

"From today until Christmas I'll be dressed this way. . . . I do it for the kids," said Ward, who was clothes shopping for his family. "My son is 14. I think he's kind of embarrassed of me."

Mike Friedman, a manager at Target in Concord, said things ran smoothly most of the day. People seemed to be more pleasant than in year's past, he said. The store, which also opened at 5 a.m. quickly sold out of digital cameras, televisions and Zhu Zhu pets - the battery-powered, interactive hamsters.

Parking spaces were sparse at Tilton's Tanger Outlets early yesterday afternoon. Consumers there said they came for the clothing deals and to avoid the close confines of the mall.

"It's more spread out here, we're not packed on top of each other," said Mary Beth Reis, who was browsing a section of brightly colored pajama bottoms. Reis made the trip from Portsmouth to shop with her sister and mother. "There are some lines, but it's very tolerable. That's why we like to come here."

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