Nearly six months after buying my first Mahjong tiles, mats, racks, and accessories, here’s what became essential, what rarely leaves the closet, and what I’d tell another beginner to buy.
When I shared my original Mahjong starter haul, I was still very new to American Mahjong—and very susceptible to every beautiful Mahjong setup that appeared on Instagram.
Nearly six months later, I’m playing three to five times a month. I usually play twice at the Viridian Mahjong Club, which meets at our Storm Park amenity center. The rest of the time, I play with neighborhood friends at one of our houses or at the wine and coffee bar across from Viridian.
That means everything from my original haul has now had plenty of opportunities to prove itself.
Some purchases became game-night essentials. Some are perfectly nice but rarely used. One item has been completely replaced by a much more expensive obsession.
And despite once suggesting that I was probably finished buying Mahjong supplies, my collection has somehow grown enough that I’m redesigning an entire room around it.
So much for a starter haul.
The Undisputed Winner: My Fair Mahjong Acrylic Racks
If I had to choose one purchase from my original haul that I love the most, it would be my My Fair Mahjong Macaron Pink Premium Acrylic Racks.
They are the GOAT.
I genuinely don’t have words for how much I love these racks. They feel substantial, the tiles fit beautifully, and they make every setup look polished. The magnetic pushers occasionally confuse people the first time they use them, but once they understand how they work, they usually love them too.
I love them so much that I recently ordered another set—this time with solid wavy Macaron Green pushers for a fun contrast.
I also added a My Fair Mahjong velvet rack bag, which is perfect for protecting the acrylic racks when I take them to Mahjong night.
If a beginner asked me where to save and where to splurge, this would be my splurge recommendation. You can absolutely begin with inexpensive tiles, but really good racks improve every single game.
The Tiles and Mat I Use Regularly
My Fair Mahjong’s Crystal Confetti Purple tiles remain a regular part of my rotation.
They’re colorful, easy to read, and satisfying to play with. When I use them, I usually pair them with the My Fair Mahjong Green Confetti mat and my pink acrylic racks.
This entire combination has held up beautifully and still feels special every time I bring it out.
Since the original haul, I’ve also added My Fair Mahjong Pink Prism tiles. Those have become another favorite and appear regularly at game nights—including one particularly photogenic win.
I’m apparently incapable of choosing just one favorite tile set.
The Tote and Small Accessories That Go Everywhere
My Fair Mahjong’s Geometric Pink tote goes to every Mahjong night.
Inside it, I keep the matching dice pouch and card and accessory bag. The smaller accessory bag is especially useful for keeping my National Mah Jongg League cards and shufflers together instead of letting everything disappear into the bottom of the tote.
These aren’t the most exciting purchases in the collection, but they’re genuinely practical. I don’t have to think about what to pack because everything stays together and is ready to go.
The shuffling cards themselves are a different story.
We rarely use them. Most of the time, we simply use our NMJL cards to help push and mix the tiles. We did break out the shufflers when friends came over recently, but they aren’t something I’d consider essential.
The Affordable Amazon Set: Still a Good Starter Purchase
My first tile set was the pink travel-themed set from My Mahjong Trove on Amazon.
I rarely use it now because I’ve added several boutique sets that I reach for first. However, I brought the Amazon tiles out when the girls came over recently, and they were a huge hit.
The themed designs took everyone a few minutes to understand, but once they knew what each tile represented, they loved the set.
That experience confirmed my original opinion: this is still a perfectly acceptable and affordable starter set.
It lets you begin learning and figure out whether Mahjong is something you’ll continue playing before spending several hundred dollars on boutique tiles. The set may not be my regular choice anymore, but I don’t regret buying it.
The Pink Blooms Mat Came Back Out of Storage
My affordable Pink Blooms mat from Amazon had not been used in months before our recent game.
It was still a big hit when I brought it out, especially paired with my Pink Prism tiles and pink acrylic racks. The only issue was that I had stored it folded inside a bag, so it had visible fold marks when I first unfolded it.
That was more of a storage mistake than a problem with the mat itself.
It’s a pretty and budget-friendly option, and I would still recommend it to someone building a first setup. I’ve simply accumulated other mats that I tend to reach for more often.
What I Rarely Use: The Solo Mahj Board
When I first started playing, I was excited about using a Solo Mahj board to practice hands by myself.
These days, I’m more likely to practice Mahjong on my iPad.
I even brought the pink Clover Solo Mahj board to Mexico and never used it. It works, and I liked it when I first bought it, but it hasn’t become part of my regular routine.
This is one of those purchases I’d tell a beginner to wait on. Learn how you naturally like to practice before buying a dedicated solo board. You may love the physical setup—or you may discover that an app is simply more convenient.
Of course, this advice did not stop me from buying a floating Solo Mahj board for the pool.
I contain multitudes.
The One Purchase I Would Skip: Amazon Racks
The multicolor Amazon racks from my original haul are perfectly fine.
I just never use them.
Once I started playing with the My Fair Mahjong acrylic racks, there was no going back. The Amazon racks now feel like something I bought because I thought every tile set needed its own set of racks.
If you’re working with a limited beginner budget, they’ll do the job. But knowing what I know now, I would buy the affordable tiles and put more of my budget toward the racks I truly wanted.
Everything I’ve Bought Since the “Starter” Haul
My original starter haul did not remain a starter haul for long.
Since publishing that post, I’ve added:
- My Fair Mahjong Pink Prism tiles
- My Fair Mahjong Pink Anywhere travel tiles
- A Press for Mahj mat from Anders Ruff Co.
- A My Fair Mahjong velvet rack bag
- Another set of My Fair Mahjong acrylic racks with wavy Macaron Green pushers
- Anders Ruff Co Bubbles and Bams tiles, which are preordered
- Oh My Mahjong Sunset tiles from a retired-set sale
- A floating Solo Mahj board for the pool
- A smaller floating Mahjong board for playing a full game in the pool
Some of those orders are still on the way, and I’m already excited about adding them to the rotation.
The floating Mahjong board was a particularly big hit when friends came over. The girls were immediately ready to try it in the pool.
Mahjong accessories are apparently my version of “just one more.”
What I’d Tell a Beginner to Buy Now
After several months of playing regularly, my beginner shopping advice is much simpler than my collection might suggest.
Start with:
- An affordable, readable American Mahjong tile set
- A mat
- A current NMJL card
- Racks you genuinely enjoy using
- A bag that keeps everything together if you’ll travel to games
The My Mahjong Trove travel-themed set remains a perfectly good place to begin. You do not need $300-plus tiles to learn the game or have fun with friends.
But if your budget allows for one splurge, I’d make it the My Fair Mahjong acrylic racks.
You can wait on shufflers, specialty pouches, solo boards, multiple mats, floating boards, and a collection of tiles coordinated to every conceivable color palette.
You may eventually want all of those things.
You just don’t need them on day one.
Are My Fair Mahjong Products Still Worth the Splurge?
For me, absolutely.
I’m obsessed with everything I’ve purchased from My Fair Mahjong. The tiles, racks, bags, and accessories have held up well, and I use many of them constantly.
Are they necessary to play Mahjong? No.
Do they make game night more fun for me? One hundred percent.
Mahjong has become more than a game I occasionally play. It’s a social activity I enjoy several times a month, something I practice, something I collect, and apparently now the inspiration for an entire room makeover.
The biggest surprise from my original starter haul isn’t that some products get used more than others.
It’s that I keep finding more things I want.
Mahjong stuff is an addiction—and I’m not remotely sorry about it.
What Became Essential in Your Mahjong Collection?
If you play American Mahjong, tell me what you use at every game and what ended up collecting dust.
And if you’re a beginner, which purchase are you considering first?
More American Mahjong Guides: Visit my American Mahjong Guides page for beginner tips, house rules, tile-set reviews, accessories, and travel advice.
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