Only the first lucky clutch of people in line today at AT&T stores will walk out with a new iPhone 3G in-hand. There were only 30 phones available in total at the the biggest AT&T store in Waterbury CT, at the Brass Mill Center, according to a store employee. Reporting from the line, reader Kevin says that everyone else was given an option to buy a slip of paper for $226.79 (see a scan of it posted inside), have the phone shipped from the warehouse to you, then you come back to the store to activate the phone. Customers will have to pay for the shipping charges for this favor.

Brian Lam over at Gizmodo says that most AT&T stores only had a few dozen of the new phone for sale today, and that you’re better off going to an Apple store, as “they always have more.” According to commenter camman68, the noon news in Wichita, KS has reported that all the AT&T stores in the area are completely sold out. Fear not, Witchititians, they seem to have some left on eBay. They’ll just cost you over $800.

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