MishM*A*S*H 34: Military Base Play Set

One of the most unique, and popular, licensed M*A*S*H related toys released was made by Tristar in the early 1980s. While I do not typically collect toys and licensed products, I have made a few exceptions. The M*A*S*H Military Base Play Set is something I wanted in the collection for years, and I was able to find a complete, new in box set several years ago. Released by Tristar in 1982, the set includes a 16 square foot play mat, a headquarters tent, The Swamp, the Mess Tent, and the main building complete with Col. Potter’s office, Klinger’s office, the hospital, and post-op ward. The set included 63 pieces for play and could be used with other Tristar toys including a Jeep, ambulance, helicopter, and character action figures. While I do not have any of the extra toys, I do have a full, unused play set, so let’s take a look at this 42 year old M*A*S*H military base play set!

The Box

If you’ve ever watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS, you know that anything with its original packaging is more desirable, and it is easy to see why when you look at the box for this play set. On the front of the box, we see kids playing with the M*A*S*H toys and a pretty good replica of the 4077th! While the layout doesn’t match the show exactly, it is close enough that it is instantly recognizable. I remember the first time I saw the M*A*S*H play set for sale, and I think it was the pictures on the box that sold me! The sides of the box details everything included in the set and has another picture of the full camp. The photos on the box do show the additional toys and action figures, but it is careful to note that they were sold separately. As a kind, I would have wanted the whole set! Overall, this box is in pretty good shape for its age. I am surprised that a play set like this has survived all of these years with it’s box fully in tact.

The Mat

The base of the play set is a vinyl mat that measures four feet by four feet, giving kids a sixteen square foot area for play. The mat is pre-printed with rock borders to go around each of the tents and a spot for the helicopter pad. There are also pre-printed bushes, tire tracks, and the appearance of dirt on the yellow mat. The vinyl is pretty thick, and despite being folded and re-folded multiple times, it has held up fairly well. When I was a kid, my brother and I had play mats similar to this for our Hot Wheels, so seeing a M*A*S*H play set like this brings back many memories form my own childhood.

The Buildings

When someone purchased the play set in 1983, the first step would have been to assemble the 4077th. There are pieces to assemble the building and three tents and all of the accessories. Each of the tents has a roof and four walls. These pieces locked together to keep the building standing, but the roof was easily removable for play and for placing the accessories inside. The four buildings/tents in the play set include:

• “Headquarters” – This is primarily Col. Potter’s tent, but it has been renamed for the set.
• “The Swamp” – The tent where the surgeons live.
• “Mess Tent” – Complete with tables and benches.
• The Main Building” – Contains the O.R., post-op, and the offices of Klinger and Col. Potter (this is definitely a tight squeeze).

The box states that the buildings are made of “high impact plastic,” but I have found this is not the case. The plastic is very thin and had to be snapped together. It would not have taken too many assemblies and disassemblies for the plastic to start to break. Add 40+ years to the equation, and this plastic is very brittle now. I have to be very careful not to break it. In this set, it is clear that the tents were never assembled because the sides have never been removed from the plastic that holds them together. I have no plans to assemble the set now because I am afraid they’d break!

The Details

Finally, there are the pieces that came with the set to play with. There are instructions to assist you with building the camp, and the level of detail is where the set really comes together for me. The Mess Tent includes four tables and eight benches. The Headquarters tent includes Col. Potter’s bed, a table, and a shelf. The Swamp includes the four cots, the stove, shelves, footlockers, and even a record player! The main building has cots for wounded, space for Klinger’s desk and cot, and an office for Col. Potter’s desk and a stove. Of course, in the compound there are gas cans, a basketball hoop, and the infamous signpost. The set includes stickers for the bulletin board, Col. Potter’s office, the Swamp, each of the tents, and each of the cities on the signpost. The stickers in this set have never been used, but they definitely show their age. Just like the tent part, the play pieces have never been fully assembled and played with.

I have wanted one of the M*A*S*H play sets for years because it is a little 4077th that I can have at my home. Although, I doubt I will ever put it together and play with it, it is a really unique toy that was released at the height of the show’s popularity. Tristar created a line of M*A*S*H toys that are still popular with collectors today (there is a full write up on all of Tristar’s toys on mash4077tv.com). Perhaps one day I will invest in completing the Tristar set with the three vehicles and action figures. For now, the M*A*S*H Military Base play set is one of the most fun licensed products I have seen for M*A*S*H, and it is one that I recommend any serious M*A*S*H collector add to their collection. Sets are occasionally available on sites such as eBay, but complete play sets are not cheap. This is a toy for which I wish I could go back in time and buy new to play with and enjoy!