How to Store an American Mahjong Set So It Gets Played

Sets that are boxed in two rooms do not get a second night. American Mahjong wants 160 tiles, four racks, and a card in one place you can carry in one trip. Storage is a furniture problem, not a packing problem.

One case, one address

• Tiles in trays or bags that do not grind painted faces together.
• Racks in the same case. A set without racks becomes a puzzle on the dining table.
• The current card in a sleeve on top, not loose under the jokers.

Where it lives

A sideboard, a bench, a low shelf by the table you actually use. Closets win in January and lose by March. If the case is pretty enough to leave out, you will deal more walls. That is the real test of a “display” set.

After you wipe the tiles, let them sit dry for a minute before you close the lid. A sealed damp case is how an acrylic set smells like a gym bag.

• Sets with a case worth leaving out →
• Cleaning →