How do you determine rotation, part 3
> From: Lynn P
> Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2013 8:18 PM
> Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
> My mah-jongg question or comment is: RE: American Mah Jongg; Hi Tom, remember me? I have been sick for the past 16 months and just started playing Mah Jongg again this past August . For the first time since I began playing we had 12 players and 3 tables on last Friday. Table #3 in dining room was a long rectangle table and 2 chairs were on each side. Players had to sit sideways and angle their racks-very uncomfortable. After playing for 11/2 hours, as is our custom, we switch tables by throwing the dice. Highest 2 scores leave and go to another table. At the dining room table we decided we would all switch since by now our backs and necks ached. Two of us went to table #2 in family room and I and another player went to table #1 in the kitchen. Two of the players at the kitchen table who were moving said we can’t all leave the dining room table and 2 of us had to stay. I told them we were not sitting there any longer but they kept insisting we can’t move but we did and we heard grumbling from the dining room. Is there any rule from the NMJL about table rotation with 3 tables? I, of course, have your wonderful book, “The Red Dragon & The West Wind”, and can’t find info about rotation with 3 tables. Were we wrong in all leaving the table? Please advise. Thanks for all your prior advice and comments. Lynn P.
> PS.
> Even though sick I still followed your Q&A and strategies columns but I never got to play with the 2012 card. Glad you are still doing the Q&A but got tired of looking at players old MJ sets!!! Loved your comments to some of the questions asked and did send them out to my Mah Jongg groups. Thanks a bunch!
Welcome back, Lynn. I'm sorry you were sick, and glad you're feeling better. You wrote:
a long rectangle table and 2 chairs were on each side. Players had to sit sideways and angle their racks
Yes. That's what I've had to do when the only table available is too long.
Is there any rule from the NMJL about table rotation with 3 tables?
But are you really asking about 3 tables? Aren't you really asking about a too-long table that's uncomfortable to use? The real solution is not to use awkwardly-shaped or -sized tables. But to answer what you asked, no. There is no official 3-table-rotation rule.
Were we wrong in all leaving the table?
The thing is that nobody wants to sit at that table. If everybody has to sit at that table at some point, you need to work out a rotation scheme that makes each person sit there only 1/3 of the time. Tournaments usually rotate players from table to table (see FAQ 21), and you can also see Linda Z's November 5 post (below) about table rotation.
Glad you are still doing the Q&A but got tired of looking at players old MJ sets
Was that you who used to complain about that? This is an information site; I answer the questions I get; I don't control what questions I get. What's the big deal! Just scroll past them! I am going to continue to answer every question. I am not going to set up a separate board for set-evaluation questions, so you're stuck with it. If I start trying to separate out those questions, next thing you know, somebody will complain that she doesn't like seeing questions about un-American mah-jongg, and I'd have to create yet another board, and on and on! The traffic here doesn't warrant multiple boards, and the site doesn't make enough money to pay me enough to do that. So I'm not going to do that.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 9, 2013
For your consideration, part 2
>From: Ray
>Sent: Friday, November 8, 2013 9:09 AM
>Subject: Bart's set
>Hi Tom,
>Knowing how difficult people find working out Chinese characters I thought I'd drop you a line about Bart's inscription on his box.
>The characters are 心曠神怡, in Pinyin this would be Xin Kuang Shen Yi and means "a heart troubled, a spirit pleased" which is a Chinese idiom meaning "Carefree and Relaxed".
>Why such a phrase would be on a Mahjong set box may have to remain unanswered!
>Best Regards
>Ray
Nice, Ray.
And I don't think there's any mystery at all about that phrase being on a mah-jongg set. It's a game. Games are for playing and relaxing, are they not?
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 8, 2013
Same question
> From: "president3709
> Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2013 2:32 PM
> Subject: Question
> When discarding a joker do you have to say "same" or can you say joker?
> Thanks
> Susan
Hi, Susan.
See what I wrote in my book on page 59, rule 89.b. I said "may say 'Same'" (not "must say 'Same'"). I have now added some new wording to Frequently Asked Question 19G(3) because so many people have asked this. To get to the FAQs, scroll up and look for a blue and yellow flashing arrow (emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this 
).
After you've landed at the
FAQ 19
page, please bookmark it so you can easily return to it anytime you have a mah-jongg question.
Answers to all of the most frequently-asked questions about
American (NMJL)
mah-jongg are found in
FAQ 19.
Please always check the FAQs first, before asking me a question. Thanks!
And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, every group really should have a copy of the official NMJL rulebook (and/or, might I add, my book). For information about where to obtain mah-jongg books, see FAQ 3.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 7, 2013
For your consideration
> From: Bart O
> Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2013 11:45 AM
> Subject: A Mah Jongg set for your consideration
> Dear Mr Sloper,
> First of all my compliments on your Mah Jongg website. It was pleasant surprise to find a source on the subject as accurate and exhaustive as yours. I'm not a connoisseur by any means; I just happen to have played the game for most of my life and I wanted to know more about its background and the set I own. Your website already gave me a wealth of information. I'm hoping you could maybe shed some more light on my set: its age and origin and maybe the meaning of the inscription on the box.
> Here is - in the order of your checklist – the information I have:
> 1] The set consists of 151 "small" bone-and-bamboo tiles (a 152-set missing 1 joker) in a flat wooden box, an incomplete set of bone sticks and four wooden racks.
> 2] The tiles are very smooth, the bamboo unmarked, the bone and bamboo almost seamlessly fishtailed. The carving appears to be done by hand and especially on the flowers it's very detailed. The bone (both of tiles and sticks) is unevenly (dis)colored. The lid of the box has been reinforced on the inside with a piece of formica (clearly a job by my father – see 4). The four 40cm racks are very worn from use. I would say all items are GOOD, with the exception of the racks being FAIR.
> 3] The tiles are made of bone and bamboo. Although I couldn't detect any Haversian signs, I also failed to distinguish Schreger lines or cross-hatch effect. The tiles are silky smooth but this could have been caused by extensive use over many years (see 4).
> 4] I inherited the set from my parents. One of my earliest childhood recollections is of them playing the game. Since I was born in '59 this set has been in their/my possession for at least fifty years. I have no idea if it may predate (let's say) 1963. If an old included manual (in Dutch) is any indication, it was bought at its publisher "Eberhardt Aziatische Kunst" (Eberhardt Asiatic Art) on Damstraat in Amsterdam. That oriental shop has been there for as long as I can remember and still is. My parents used to play Mah Jongg regularly with various close friends and I remember the games lasting well into the night, the laughter and calling of 'pung', 'kong' etc. drifting up to my bedroom. I was fascinated both by the mysterious walls of tiles, the exotic terms and the quick doubling of the scores that my mother was a master at.
> 5] The "small" tiles measure 25mm H x 17mm W x 12mm D of which 4mm bone.
> 6] The basic 136-tile set is complete. Added are 8 flowers (four depicting 1/rich man, 2/pot of gold, 3/monkey king, 4/goddess of mercy; the other four depicting 1/plum, 2/orchid, 3/bamboo, 4/chrysanthemum), 4 extra blank tiles (equivalent to white dragons) and THREE joker tiles (obviously one joker tile was lost during one of those many nightly games; this was not essential to them because they, like me, played/play the Chinese Classical 144-tile game).
> 7] Apart from the tiles, the set consists of a box (see 8/9), four racks and an incomplete set of sticks. The four wooden racks have the simple L-profile. Their length (40 cm) is too long for the "small" tiles, so my father notched them at the 18-tile width. The bone sticks measure 70 x 8 mm and count:
> heaven/500 points: 8 pc (complete)
> earth/100 points: 31 pc (1 missing)
> man/10 points: 35 pc (1 missing)
> harmony/2points: 36 pc (4 missing)
> Although incomplete the number of sticks is of course sufficient to play with.
> 8] The flat, wooden box is flat has a sliding top. It measures 247 mm H x 131 mm W x 53 mm D.
> 9] The lid of the box has been reinforced on the inside with a piece of formica. Apart from that it looks like it always did: deep brown varnish with green and white characters (meaning unknown).
> 10] There's a Dutch manual included; a publication by Eberhardt, Amsterdam – the presumed seller of the set.
> 11/14] The craks are of the older kind. Pictures of one crak, one bamboo, dragons and flowers are included.
> 15] The set includes THREE jokers (obviously one has been lost in the decades of fun).
> Attached are pictures of the set, characteristic tiles, box, sticks and racks.
> I hope this set is of some interest to you and that maybe you can add some information to the above.
> Thank you very much. Best regards,
> Bart O
Bonjour, Bart. You asked:
its age
It appears to have been made in the 1930s or 1940s. Possibly later, but the wooden racks suggest 1930s. Then again, I don't suppose the racks fit in the box (so might have been acquired separately).
and origin
China.
maybe the meaning of the inscription on the box.
I'm no linguist. I looked on mandarintools.com and zhongwen.com, and could only find the first character at the top:
心 xin1 (heart; mind, intelligence; soul)
If you want to check yourself, mandarintools is probably your best bet.
There's a Dutch manual included; a publication by Eberhardt, Amsterdam – the presumed seller of the set.
There's no date inside, I suppose.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 7, 2013
Wright-Patterson, part 4
> From: Ray
> Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2013 12:18 AM
> Subject: Wright Patterson discussion with Leon
> Hi Tom, I hope this helps in your recent discussions with Leon where you are debating amongst many things the meaning of (P). I don't play Wright Patterson at all, but I have seen a 1958 Wright Patterson Rules Booklet which defines (P) as "Punged Hand: During play you may call for a discarded tile that is needed to make a Pung, [...], place Pung on your rack."
> So, your assumptions on what (P) means were indeed correct.
> Best Regards
> Ray H
Great! Thanks, Ray!
Can I change my exposure if I haven't discarded yet?
> From: Louise D
> Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 4:55 PM
> Subject: MJ Question
> I read the rule about changing your mind, but didn't see my problem addressed. I know once you make an exposure, you can't take it back, but I thought you could make a change to it (like putting back a joker in your rack if you have enough of the exposure) as long as you haven't discarded yet. Is that true?
> Louise
Hi, Louise, you wrote:
I read the rule about changing your mind, but didn't see my problem addressed.
So you read FAQ 19AM, but you're asking a different question.
I thought you could make a change to [an exposure] (like putting back a joker in your rack if you have enough of the exposure) as long as you haven't discarded yet. Is that true?
Read FAQ 19AF.
19AF and 19AM are not contradictory. 19AF answers the question, "can I change my exposure if I haven't discarded yet?" 19AM answers the question, "can I change my mind about making an exposure at all, after I've already exposed tiles from my hand?"
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 6, 2013
Wright-Patterson, part 3
> From: Leon U
> Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 7:28 AM
> Subject: Re: wright patterson rules
> 1. Am western I was refering to one of your faqs that youve written where u stated am was nmjl and wright patterson fell under the category of western
> 2. According to what i understand p stands for pungable=an exposable hand. This does allow for chows when chows are permitted (cannot claim chows for sequence hands)
> 3. Im asking for the majority of the group it is not only I who would like to know this we are trying to resolve this as a group I just seem to be the only one to approach you iunno. But we have a majority of the group who didnt even know there were any other varients and they were unsure about the rules while some of the other players argued that the way they play is the correct way and nonetheless started a quarrel amongst ourselves within the group. We have decided to find and figure out the answer as a majority and it seems im the one to have approached you. So any suggestions to this then? Because come to think of it confused chow is a hand alot of them shoot for because they were lead to believe to be able to claim from anyone. Questions arose when they saw the jewel hands. So if could clarify for me itd be much appreciated
> From: Leon U
> Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 7:40 AM
> Subject: Re: wright patterson rules
> This was taken from a copy of the most recent visual aid book with all the various hands for wright patterson this is also something we use amonsgt the group for players whom do not have a book
Hi, Leon.
I don't know if your blue book is newer than mine, but if this is the version your group is playing from, then the book says it clearly: chows may only be claimed for jewel hands (that means the chows in Confused Chows may not be exposed prior to declaring mah-jongg, but the pung may). If I were you, I'd send a letter to the rulekeepers in Ohio, and ask them.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 6, 2013
Wright-Patterson, part 2
> From: Leon U
> Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 6:24 AM
> Subject: Re: wright patterson rules
> So another follow up
> You as you stated we were to assumes this.. which is gunna be a problem because these ladies only play am western and do not even no about the rules for another mjs and theyve been doing this for years and that might cause a problomatic situation with that explanation
> And for your second example u refered to where the jewel hands start according to whats in front of me it states "Note For Jewels Hands Only" which would ofc come up when someone is trying to play a confused chow hand and such. Ie hands number 76 to 83
> So would you have any suggestions to how I should approach the group with this or hopefully comments on what I just stated? And again thanks for the help your always my go to guy xD
Good morning, Leon. You wrote:
these ladies only play am western
You said they play NMJL (American) and Wright-Patterson. Do they also play Western (British/Australian)? I don't think that's what you mean to be saying.
for your second example u refered to where the jewel hands start according to whats in front of me it states "Note For Jewels Hands Only"
I don't see such a notation in my blue book (which I bought at the same time as the 2009 edition of the green book). But I also noticed that, other than Jewel Hands, almost all the other chow hands are marked C for concealed. Confused Chows, however, is marked P instead. I was unable to find anything in writing that explains what the P means. Perhaps it means "pung," in other words a player may expose a pung? The Jewel Hands are also all marked P.
Ie hands number 76 to 83
Those are all marked C except #82 (Confused Chows). So, other than Confused Chows, this is a non-issue.
how I should approach the group with this
Dude, you're not going to change the way they play. I don't even know what it is you want to change. See FAQ 14 - when you play with a group, you have to go along with the way they play. If you need clarity about some of their rules, just ask them, and go along with their way of playing.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 6, 2013
Wright-Patterson Qs
> From: Leon U
> Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:07 PM
> Subject: wright patterson rules
> So as I stated before when im unable to play riichi I join a group of older ladies for some am mj. We play nmjl n wright patterson.
> My question refers to wright Patterson. Maybe youve answered this but in wright Patterson does the rules of chow/chi apply? By that I mean are you able to claim a chi from any players discard or must it be claimed from and only from the player on the left? Whichever the outcome do you have any sources you could direct me to to support this so that I may provide evidence for whichever ends up being the case to prevent any further quarrels? Thanks^^
> From: Leon U
> Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:45 PM
> Subject: Re: wright patterson rules
> In addition for wright patterson does the priority rule still apply for players claiming a tile for a different melds. ie. One for chi the other for pon.
> where kans take prio over pon and pon over chi etc.
> And could you provide a source for this as well to prevent further quarrels. Thanks ^^
Hi, Leon. I should start by saying that I have never played Wright-Patterson myself. You asked:
Maybe youve answered this
Nope. Brand-spanking-new question.
in wright Patterson does the rules of chow/chi apply? By that I mean are you able to claim a chi from any players discard or must it be claimed from and only from the player on the left?
I scoured the W-P green book (the 2009 edition, the latest) and found that although there are chows in this game, there is no mention whatsoever in the rule book about whether or not a player can call a discard to make a chow. Rule 21 on page 10 mentions that you can have exposed pungs, but there is no mention in the rules of how one calls a discard to expose a pung! Therefore we must assume that certain basic procedures of Chinese Classical still apply.
Then I looked through the blue book (the Visual Aid) at the various hands, and it was there that I found the rule you're asking about. It's on page 10, at the start of the Jewel Hands. Just as in all un-American forms of mah-jongg, one may only chow on one's turn (thus from the player at the left), except for mah-jongg (which may be claimed from anyone). Crack open your blue book, and turn to page 10 to see it for yourself.
does the priority rule still apply for players claiming a tile for a different melds. ie. One for chi the other for pon. where kans take prio over pon and pon over chi etc.
No. See rule 24 on page 10 of the green book. It's strictly by player order in W-P mah-jongg, not by reason for the claim -- except for mah-jongg, of course -- the mah-jongg claim trumps all other claims (as is done in all forms of mah-jongg).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 5, 2013
She had a change of heart
> From: "karenkd
> Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 4:46 AM
> Subject: MJ question
> Yesterday while playing MJ a player picked a tile from the wall, looked at it, but since she hadn't racked it yet, changed her mind and decided to return it and call the last tile thrown. Is this allowable? I know that someone has the opportunity to call a tile as long as it hasn't been racked but can you do that yourself if you are the one picking and then calling?
> Thanks Tom!
> Karen D
> From: "karenkd
> Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 4:55 AM
> Subject: MJ
> Oops, sorry Tom! Sent you a question but just found the answer on your website, sorry missed it first time through.
> A: 1. Picking from the wall. After you've lifted or moved the tile off the wall, you may not change your mind and put it back. (You can reach for it and change your mind. You can even touch it and change your mind. But if you lift it or move it, it's yours and you have committed to taking it.)
I love it when folks find their answers in the FAQs!
May the tiles be with you, Karen.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 5, 2013
How do you determine rotation, part 2
From: "lindaz
Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:55 AM
Subject: Joan's Nov 4 email
Hi Tom,
Regarding Joan's email of Nov 4--the way our group rotates 10 players is to rotate the "East" person when a game is finished. We're pretty flexible about this. When one group is finished their game, those players look at the other tables. If another group is on their last wall, we'll set up a new wall and wait for the second group to finish, then switch East players. Sometimes players don't want to wait and will continue in the same group. Hope this helps!
Thanks, Linda
I agree that the person who dealt a just-finished hand rotates out (the same way it's done for a 5-player table, as described in FAQ 13A). As I said yesterday, it's unavoidable that there will be some waiting.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 5, 2013
Column 583, part 3
> From: Deborah A
> Sent: Monday, November 4, 2013 6:08 PM
> Subject: RE: November 3rd column #583
> Answer to #15 cannot be 369#5. It should be 369#6 because there are 9Cs and 9Ds. This would make up the last hand under 369: a pair of 3Bs, a pair of 6Bs, a pair of 3Ds, a pair of 6Ds, a pair of 9Ds and a kong of 9Ds.
> I have only been playing for a few months but I just can't see it any other way. Please explain your answer if I am mistaken.
> Thank you.
> Deborah
Yep, you're right, Deborah. I'm assuming I just made a typo (or miscounted from top to bottom). It's fixed now!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 4, 2013
How do you determine rotation
> From: "jccatanese
> Sent: Monday, November 4, 2013 2:12 PM
> Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
> My mah-jongg question or comment is:
> Three tables playing. One table of 4 players Two tables of 3 players 10 players total.
> Players do not want to play 2 tables of 4 with two players waiting.
> How do you determine the rotation of the players .
> Help me with my sanity.
> Thank you,
> Joan C
I don't understand, Joan.
What problem is there to solve? Rotate who from where to where, in order to accomplish what? Are you talking about rotating people from a 3-player table to a 4-player table, and vice versa? To what end? You said players don't want to wait, so they'd rather play 3-player at two tables instead.
If there's nothing broken, there's nothing to fix.
The only way that I can think of to "rotate" is to do the thing you say your players don't want to do (two 5-player tables). If you want people to rotate from table to table, then there will inevitably be waiting, since some games take longer than others. Not to mention the time it'll take to exchange places. You're going to have to figure this out between you. And when you do, I'm sure my readers would be glad to hear what you came up with.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 4, 2013
Column 483 583, part 2
> From: Belinda
> Sent: Monday, November 4, 2013 1:57 PM
> Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
> Hi again. The title for my last email should be Column #583. Instead of Column 483.
> Bee
Column 483 583
> From: Belinda
> Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2013 9:27 PM
> Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
> My mah-jongg question or comment is:
> LOVE your website, informative and challenging.
> Regarding your Nov 3rd column #583
> Your answer to #5: 2013 #4. The jokers are Rs.
> I believe the jokers could also be soaps. The NJML's card has a parenthetical that says "any two dragons, any 2 or 3 suits". Their website also explains it,"FFFF DDD 2013 DDD. This hand may be played with any 2 Dragons. The 2, 1 and 3 may be in any suit." I bring this up as some players in our group were not aware of this until another player called mah jong and a discussion ensued regarding this rule.
> The player should place the tiles in card order so that mah jong is easily verified. I could not find a rule regarding this in the rule book, but as it was last published in 1984, there may have been a rule change since. But players should beware when playing in a tournament as most tournaments require that the hand be placed in card order and anyone refusing to do so may be called dead.
> Thanks for all you do.
> Bee
Very good, Bee! I made that change to the column, thanks to you. But a couple other things you said are worth further discussion:
I could not find a rule regarding this in the rule book, but as it was last published in 1984, there may have been a rule change since.
Rule changes are always to be found in the League's yearly bulletin.
I have kept every yearly bulletin since I started playing in the late nineties, and I have gotten copies of some from before then. I have scoured them all, and incorporated my findings into my book
and (as appropriate) the FAQs.
most tournaments require that the hand be placed in card order and anyone refusing to do so may be called dead.
Good point. Inna Youface would get her comeuppance, and rightly so!
Of course, Inna is a made-up person, and nobody should actually display jumbled hands the way I did in that column, and if she did, she wouldn't get away with it for long. I hope it at least makes a reasonably good brainteaser for a Sunday.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 4, 2013
Set valuation
> From: "flashgordon1942
> Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2013 3:44 PM
> Subject: mah jong set valuation
> Hi:
> My inquiry is in regards to determining an approximation of the value of a mah jong set belonging to my mother.
> The set contains 152 tiles(a complete set plus 8 jokers)...The tiles are two-tone, with the underside being black.
> There is a pair of dice, 2 trays, and 4 racks(with chip holders and folding poles).
> The bams, dots, and cracks are in "fine" condition, with no visible defects. The flowers seem worn in comparison,
> and can be described as being in a "good" state....The jokers, which consist of a sticker affixed to a blank tile,
> are in "poor" shape...The dice and trays are in "fine" condition. The chip holding section of one of the racks shows
> wear and one corner is slightly bent. Other than that they are nonetheless in "very good condition."
> The rear section of the rack is slightly lower than the height of two tiles atop one another, and the horizontal surface
> is as wide as the longest dimension of one tile. Additionally, the rack holds eighteen tiles.
> In general, for a set that is at least sixty years old, and in use for all but two of those years, the tiles are clear and
> attractive(with exceptions noted above).
> Furthermore, based on the sourcing of "FAQ 7c, on visual inspection, I believe the tiles are made from bakelite
> (experiments performed proved inconclusive).
> My mother received the set as a gift when she first started playing. She is now ninety-four years old.
> The tile dimensions are as follows:
> height: 1" width: 3/4" depth: 5/16"
> The tiles come with a nondescript scuffed metallic carrying case, 20" X 4", that is not very attractive.
> There are no paper materials included. The graphics on the cracks would seem to be indicative of the
> set to be of a latter period of manufacture.
> Thank you in advance for your assistance.
> P.S. I'm sorry but I can't seem to forward all of the photos at once, and thus I have to portion them out.
Hello, flashgordon#. You wrote:
The bams, dots, and cracks are in "fine" condition... The flowers seem worn in comparison,
> and can be described as being in a "good" state....The jokers, which consist of a sticker affixed to a blank tile,
> are in "poor" shape
Let's call those "good," too (anyone could clean off the old stickers and affix new ones). Let's say that all the tiles are "good."
The chip holding section of one of the racks shows
> wear and one corner is slightly bent.
Then let's call your racks "good."
a nondescript scuffed metallic carrying case, 20" X 4", that is not very attractive.
Then let's call everything "good."
P.S. I'm sorry but I can't seem to forward all of the photos at once, and thus I have to portion them out.
All your photos were blurry but I get the gist. The one thing I would have wanted to see beyond the ones you sent would be a photo of the case, but your description tells me enough.
an approximation of the value of [it]
Somewhere around $80, give or take. It needs restoring before it can be valued much higher.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 3, 2013
Can you help me put a value, part 2
> From: Karen S
> Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2013 5:14 AM
> Subject: RE: "Found" Set - Can you help me put a value on it?
> Hi Tom – Thank you very much for your quick answer! I did not mean to confuse you about the blanks – I had turned over the two that were not blanks so you could see the backs matched perfectly. As for color, must be a monitor thing because the photos show the right shade here. But if that doesn’t affect value, I won’t worry about it. About the value, you gave great news. Your valuation was much more than I paid, but not so much that I would be afraid to play with it – perfect combination! I’ll be playing soon with these beautiful tiles. Thanks again for your help and all you do for the Mah Jongg community.
> Karen
Hi, Karen. You wrote:
I had turned over the two that were not blanks so you could see the backs matched perfectly
It was a bad idea to do that.
Thanks again for your help and all you do for the Mah Jongg community.
You're welcome.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 3, 2013
Can you help me put a value on it?
> From: Karen S
> Sent: Saturday, November 2, 2013 1:39 PM
> Subject: "Found" Set - Can you help me put a value on it?
> Hi Tom –
> I came across this set and have done as much research as this novice is able to do. I’m a player, but not a collector, so I picked it up because I liked in. It seems to be in such good condition that I thought I should know its value before it gets too much use! Can you please help me put a value on this set?
> Here’s what I learned so far:
> · Condition of case is good. There are a few wear marks, and handle has been replaced, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to use it. There is one key. The locks work, but show age.
> · Racks are in excellent condition. The only place age shows in on the brass coin holders. They all work, and are not damaged, just showing age. Does polishing diminish value?
> · The tiles seem to match up with Royal Depth Control sets I have seen at the sites you recommended in your FAQ. Am I on the right track?
> · The tiles are light butterscotch, with a slight greenish/gray cast. Is this what is meant by references to “olive oil” color?
> · The tiles measure 1 3/8” x 13/16” x 7/8”. They are perfectly matched, no chips, no cracks, no obvious discolorations, and very little wear on the tiles.
> · There are 164 tiles. Photos are attached to this e-mail, but here’s a summary of what’s included:
> o All four of the 1-9 bams, craks, and dots
> o All 12 dragons and all 16 winds
> o 20 flowers (8 seasons, 12 flower in vases)
> o 4 natural Big Jokers and 4 matched extra tiles for stickers (2 are blanks)
> Thank you for your help!
> Karen
Hi, Karen. You wrote:
Condition of case is good.
That's too bad. That diminishes the value of the set.
Does polishing diminish value?
No, I don't think so.
The tiles seem to match up with Royal Depth Control sets I have seen at the sites you recommended in your FAQ. Am I on the right track?
As it says in FAQ 7u, I'm not an expert on manufacturers. The only way I know a set is RDC is if there's an RDC label in the case. That said, the parts do all resemble one of my RDC sets.
The tiles are light butterscotch, with a slight greenish/gray cast. Is this what is meant by references to “olive oil” color?
Your tiles look yellow to me.
4 matched extra tiles for stickers (2 are blanks)
In the photo, it looks like there are 4 blanks. I'm confused. And your set seems to have 3 or 4 pairs of dice - one green, one yellow, and one or two red pairs. Weird (somebody must have added dice into the set).
Can you please help me put a value on this set?
If the case was in better than just good condition and if it had an RDC label, I'd guess somewhere around $200. But this looks like it's probably closer to $150, plus or minus.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 2, 2013
Frequently Asked Question 19E
>From: Veronica K. C
>Sent: Friday, November 1, 2013 12:48 AM
>Subject: Question
>Am I allowed to draw a discarded tile to display NEWS on my rack?
Welcome to my website, Veronica. You have asked
Frequently Asked Question 19E.
Scroll up and look left for the FAQs, which are marked by a blue and yellow flashing arrow (emblazoned "READ 1ST," like this ).
After you've landed at the
FAQ 19
page, please bookmark it so you can easily return to it anytime you have a mah-jongg question.
Answers to all of the most frequently-asked questions about
American (NMJL)
mah-jongg are found in
FAQ 19.
Please always check the FAQs first, before asking me a question. Thanks!
And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, every group really should have a copy of the official NMJL rulebook (and/or, might I add, my book). For information about where to obtain mah-jongg books, see FAQ 3.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
November 1, 2013
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eBay is probably your best bet.
You could post an announcement on my Accessories Wanted bulletin board (there's a link above left in the site nav section).
You could ask the League if they have old cards they can sell you.
You could ask the vendors in FAQ 4a if they have any old cards they can sell you.
Best not to ask people to copy or photograph old cards -- the League is pretty protective of their copyright.
You could always just stick to the columns that relate to the cards that you do have.
