There are NINE PAGES of Annie merchandise in the 1983 Sears catalog. More than any of the other themes like Smurfs or Strawberry Shortcake and exactly nine pages more than “Wrath of Khan” which was more successful at the box office.
Not being a young girl at the time (or any time for that matter) I have no idea if “Annie-Mania” swept through households the way Sears was hoping. Anybody have a bedroom like this?
AKA Brian Heiler author of "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings" and co-editor of "Toy-Ventures Magazine". Co-Host of the "Pod Stallions" podcast. Host of the Brick Mantooth Youtube channel, painter, designer, writer, mental health advocate, toy collector, Mego, and Mego Knock-Off enthusiast. I have large feet, ADHD and I live in Canada. Talk toys, not others. 
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A quick look on IMDB tells me the movie came out in 1982. But was it even that successful?
Looks like quite a few licensees had a Hard-Knock Life that Christmas.
Nope. Throughout my childhood, this Anon has always been sensitive to toy fads. Those big phone directory sized catalogs were a source of MONTHS of interesting reading.
If Annie had been a big deal, I would have seen traces of it with my (female) classmates back then. Nope. Strawberry Shortcake was big for a few years in grade-school and the Smurfs were huge for much, much longer.
I vaguely remember the movie. Didn't see it, but I saw the ads for it. Came, went, that was that. The film studio must have thought it had a sure-fire winner and didn't want to run the risk of a long "Star Wars" style delay.
Since our host mentioned it, I'd love to see the "Wrath of Khan" catalog page.
I don't remember any kids who would've been into Annnie THIS much when it was out, and I was like six or seven in a small Michigan town. But then again, I was more into the stuff little boys at the time were probably more expected to be into, like Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, etc. to care.
I would've been in first grade at the time, and none of the other little girls I knew had any interest in Annie. In 1983 we were all into Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Masters of the Universe, and the Care Bears.
It's because the merchandise was based on the old comic book and not the movie. The comic Annie was freaking spooky! No pupils? Oh hell no, get away from me with that blank zombie stare!
The national touring company of the Broadway version of Annie was touring around this time. I remember going to see it downtown with my parents (Chicago).
My sister still has her Knickerbocker Annie doll and a thermos (withour the lunchbox). But I thick she preferred Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie, and still has lots of them.
Don't know about the merchandise, but my sister spun the soundtrack what seemed like millions of times.
Looking at the box office total, it was the 2nd biggest kids flick of '82 after E.T. So yeah, it was on a lot of kids minds that year.