In the last year and half, I have written about a lot of M*A*S*H licensed products including M*A*S*H themed alcohol, action figures, Halloween costumes, games, a train set, calendars, toys, clothing, and more. The world of M*A*S*H products has interested me more and more since I began to explore it, and it seems to be popular with M*A*S*H collectors. The popularity of licensed products makes sense because objects such as scripts, press materials, and props weren’t available to the general public, and those aren’t the typical “collectables” one thinks of. But action figures, train sets, and trading cards are the kinds of things several of us do collect, and these objects tell part of the M*A*S*H story. As the series got more popular and the concept of television and movie tie-in products took off, there were more and more M*A*S*H items released. This week, we look at a M*A*S*H tote bag that was released by a company called A.D.I.
I knew of A.D.I. before I purchased tote bag because they are of the companies featured in the M*A*S*H Licensed Products Kit that was released by Twentieth Century Fox Television in 1982. In the flyer, we see a variety of a tote bags and purses that feature the M*A*S*H 4077th logo, Red Cross, and medical caduceus. They were available in a variety of colors, and the one I have is tan. It features two buckles on the front and shoulder straps on the back. What may not show up in the pictures I have taken or in the advertisements is the size of this tote bag. It is small. It was likely intended for a child and not an adult to wear. It also wouldn’t hold much. While the purses could be used by any one of any age, this backpack/tote bag would not fit on the back of an adult. While it’s a unique item, it isn’t the most practical because of its size. This particular tote bag still has its original tag that includes a photo of the cast and the copyright date of 1981, making this bag 45 years old!
When I was a kid, there were a wide variety of backpacks available for kids featuring Looney Tunes, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and many other popular characters. I am not sure whether this tote bag was intended to be a backpack, but it was certainly not as big as backpacks are now. In the research I have done on A.D.I., Inc. (based in Roslyn Heights, New York), there isn’t much information available. I didn’t find any other items they made either. They clearly made this tote bag and the purses because I have seen sales of those items. And they weren’t poorly made. This tote bag could have held a few books, and its canvas construction is surprisingly high quality. In fact, that’s one of the best arguments for this type of bag, it’s contraction. It is made from a strong canvas, uses metal fasteners, and has held up very well considering it is 45 years old. I believe its construction is why it has survived and could easily be used today if someone wanted to use it as a vintage bag. I have seen a few of these sell over the last few years, but there are not many in this condition. Nevertheless, the tote bags and purses are cool and durable M*A*S*H items that you could still use today!
The M*A*S*H Historian 