In addition to my M*A*S*H rewatch in 2025, I seem to be fixated on M*A*S*H licensed products from the late 1970s and early 1980s. When I first began the collection, I never planned to buy products that were sold to the public. I wanted to focus on production materials such as scripts, press materials, props, wardrobe, etc. But as I learned more about the marketing of M*A*S*H, I became interested in collecting M*A*S*H items that were sold when the series originally aired (1972 – 1983). So, I allowed the collection to grow beyond the existing parameters I had set for myself. I’ve since added M*A*S*H themed alcohol, Tristar action figures, Halloween costumes, games, a train set, toys, clothing, and much more. There were a lot of M*A*S*H items sold in the show’s final years, and even after the show wrapped production in 1983. As I began collecting, I started finding M*A*S*H in some unexpected places, and this week, we look at a product that was certainly unexpected: a M*A*S*H, 3 piece sheet set.
When I previously wrote about the licensed products kit distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Television in 1982, I learned about some M*A*S*H products that I did not know existed. Scrub pajamas, greeting cards, posters, and socks aren’t necessarily unusual items. As I looked through that kit, I was surprised to see a bedroom set that included sheets, a bedspread, and even curtains! I have been on the lookout for a sealed set of one, or any, of these products for years, and I finally found one in early 2025. The sheets and their accompanying products were produced as part of the Room Concepts line by Bibb. The company was based in New York, and they produced various designs from floral patterns to Coca-Cola and the NFL. It is not surprising that they would see M*A*S*H as an opportunity to expand their product line. The set of sheets that I have is for a twin size bed and includes a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and one pillowcase. The background color of the sheets are tan, and they feature the M*A*S*H logo, a Red Cross, and the Bell helicopter. There appears to have also been an alternative design where instead of tan sheets, the background was in a camouflage pattern.
Looking at the details on the flyer in the licensed products kit, Room Concepts offered the sheets in both twin size and full size, and they were likely marketed more towards kids. Although, I’d certainly use a set! I would love to find a sealed set of the curtains as well because I can’t imagine many sets of those survived. It’s incredible how M*A*S*H was virtually everywhere in the early 1980s. The actors were in commercials, there were licensed products, video games, and, of course, the series itself. It offered a great opportunity for fans of the show to interact with series and “own” a piece of it. I am happy with my decision to start expanding the collection to include objects that were produced for fans at the time. I think it tells an important part of the story because companies would not have spent the time and money to produce these objects if there wasn’t a market for them. While scripts and all the objects from production tell a story, the licensed products of M*A*S*H tell an equally important story since it speaks to how the series connected with fans in a more tangible way.
The M*A*S*H Historian 