Tag: OEM

By the TileParlor Team
Published: August 2, 2026 · Fact-checked and reviewed: August 2, 2026

If you are buying American mahjong tiles — whether for your own play group, a retail store, or a custom OEM project — one of the first specification questions you will face is deceptively simple: how many tiles come in the set? The answer is rarely as straightforward as “152,” even though that is the number used during standard NMJL play. Walk through any online marketplace or specialty retailer and you will see both 160-tile and 166-tile sets listed. Both counts are common. Neither is wrong. But they are not the same thing, and understanding the difference matters before you place an order.

This guide walks through what the numbers 152, 160, and 166 actually mean in American mahjong, why different manufacturers ship different counts, and what a buyer should confirm before committing. Along the way we draw on publicly available rule references, our own product specifications, and the questions we answer every week from retailers, club organizers, and first-time buyers.

The Core Number: 152 Tiles Used in Standard Play

American mahjong, as governed by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL), is played with 152 tiles. This is the number you will find referenced in every serious rule guide. According to Yellow Mountain Imports’ American Mahjong guide, the 152 tiles break down as follows:

• Suits (108 tiles): 36 Dots, 36 Bams (Bamboos), 36 Craks (Characters) — four of each rank from 1 to 9 in every suit.
• Honors (28 tiles): 16 Winds (four each of East, South, West, North) and 12 Dragons (four each of Red, Green, and White/Soap).
• Flowers and Seasons (8 tiles): One of each, used for bonus scoring.
• Jokers (8 tiles): Used as wild cards that can substitute for any tile in a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet.

Bambird Boutique’s American Mahjong guide confirms the same breakdown: 36 Bamboos, 36 Characters, 36 Dots, 16 Winds, 12 Dragons, 8 Flowers, and 8 Jokers — totaling 152 tiles for NMJL play. This is the consistent baseline across all authoritative American mahjong sources.

Why Sets Ship with 160 or 166 Tiles

If 152 tiles are what the game uses, why do retail sets contain 160 or 166? The answer is spares. Manufacturers include extra tiles — typically additional jokers and blank tiles — so that a lost or damaged tile does not render the entire set unusable.

As Yellow Mountain Imports explains: “Your Mahjong set has 166 tiles. 152 are used in play and the rest are spares.” Bambird Boutique elaborates further: “Typical American Mahjong tile sets will also include 2 additional jokers (for a total of 10 jokers) and 6 blank tiles. The two additional jokers and 6 blank tiles are removed for NMJL play. However, these tiles are included in the tile set in the case that a tile is lost or misplaced so that the tile set is not rendered useless.”

This is the key distinction buyers need to understand:

• A 160-tile set typically means 152 play tiles + 2 extra jokers (10 total) + 6 blank tiles.
• A 166-tile set typically means 152 play tiles + additional jokers and blank/spare tiles that bring the total to 166. The exact extra-tile breakdown varies by manufacturer.

Importantly, no single count is “universally official.” The NMJL standard is 152 tiles in play. What a manufacturer chooses to include beyond that — 8 extra tiles (160) or 14 extra tiles (166) — is a product decision, not a rule. Some play groups even use all 166 tiles with the extra jokers and blanks in play, which is a deviation from NMJL rules but a known house-rule variation.

160 vs. 166: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Buyer Checklist: What to Confirm Before Ordering

Whether you are buying for personal use, stocking a retail shelf, or placing an OEM order, here are the questions you should answer before committing to a tile count:

1. Which rule system does your group use? If you play strictly by the NMJL card, you need 152 tiles ready at the table. Whether the box says 160 or 166, confirm how many tiles you must remove before play and whether the extra tiles serve as useful spares or just take up space in the case.
2. How many jokers and blanks does the set actually contain? Do not assume “160 tiles” means the same thing from every supplier. Ask for the exact joker count and blank count. At TileParlor, our 160-tile sets — such as Miss Cowgirl, Let It Snow, and Dark Green Jade — include 10 jokers and 6 blanks. We confirm this before quoting because different production batches can vary.
3. Do you need replacement tiles? Jokers and blanks are the most practical spare tiles. If you lose a suited tile mid-game, a blank tile cannot replace it. Consider whether the manufacturer offers individual replacement tiles or whether the extra jokers in a 166-tile set give you more flexibility.
4. Will the extra tiles fit in your racks and case? Most American mahjong racks are built to hold a 19-stack wall of two-high tiles. Whether you have 160 or 166 total tiles, the 152 in-play tiles form the wall the same way. But the storage case needs to accommodate the full set. Ask for the case interior dimensions if this matters for your setup.
5. What does the packaging weigh? Six extra acrylic tiles can add approximately 70–100 grams. For a single set, negligible. For a wholesale order of 500 sets, the shipping cost difference becomes meaningful. Always get package weight and dimensions confirmed for your order quantity.
6. For OEM orders: can you customize the tile count? If you want exactly 8 jokers and zero blanks, or 16 jokers and zero blanks, or any other configuration — ask before production begins. Custom tile counts are a standard OEM option with most manufacturers, but MOQ and lead time must be confirmed per project.
7. Confirm everything in writing before production. A specification sheet showing exact tile count, joker count, blank count, dimensions, material, finish, case dimensions, and weight per set. Every reputable supplier should provide this. If they cannot, keep looking.

How TileParlor Confirms Set Composition Before Quoting

At TileParlor, every product page includes a verified specification table. We do not copy-paste from supplier listings. Each specification — tile count, joker count, blank count, dimensions, weight, material — is cross-checked against the actual set composition and production documentation before the page goes live.

Here is why this matters, drawn from real experience with our current product line:

• Material claims need verification. Some supplier listings list both melamine and acrylic for the same product. When we reviewed the Miss Cowgirl and Let It Snow sets, the set composition data confirmed acrylic — but the supplier’s material summary field referenced melamine. We label them as acrylic sets and note where exact construction was reconfirmed. You should ask your supplier the same question.
• Tile counts can be ambiguous. A listing may say “160 tiles” or “166 tiles” without breaking down how many are jokers, how many are blanks, and whether the blanks are intended as spares or as additional wilds. For our Marble Texture set (166 tiles, model JS20260110), we acknowledge on the product page that the exact spare-tile distribution is confirmed at ordering because the source does not break it out.
• Package weight discrepancies matter. Our Pink Shimmer set weighs approximately 4 kg in its 25×16×10 cm box. That is notably heavier than, say, the Dark Green Jade set at 2.5 kg in a 27×17×13 cm box. The difference is in the multi-layer tile construction and case materials. If a buyer orders 50 sets of each without checking weight, the freight quote will surprise them.

These are not theoretical concerns. They are things we check because buyers ask us about them, and we believe a purchase decision made with clear specifications is a better decision for everyone.

Factory Quotation Brief Template

When you reach out to a manufacturer — including TileParlor — here is a template you can use to get a clear, comparable quotation. Fill in the bracketed fields and send it along:

Subject: RFQ – American Mahjong Tile Set – [Quantity] Sets

Product: [Product Name / Model Number]

Quantity: [Number of sets]

Please confirm the following specifications in your quotation:

1. Total tile count per set: ____
2. Joker count: ____ (play jokers) + ____ (spare jokers) = ____ total
3. Blank tile count: ____
4. Material: [e.g., acrylic, melamine] — please confirm exact construction
5. Tile dimensions (L × W × H): ____
6. Finish/engraving method: ____
7. Set includes: tiles only / tiles + case / tiles + case + accessories
8. Case dimensions (L × W × H): ____
9. Total package weight per set: ____
10. Lead time (sample): ____ days
11. Lead time (production): ____ days
12. MOQ for this specification: ____ sets
13. OEM/customization available? Yes / No
    If yes, custom MOQ: ____ sets
14. FOB/CIF pricing per set: ____
15. Shipping estimate to [destination]: ____

Additional requirements: [custom colors, engraving, packaging, etc.]

If the supplier cannot fill in every field, ask why. A specification sheet with gaps is a risk you should weigh carefully.

TileParlor Products Referenced in This Guide

The following TileParlor acrylic mahjong sets reflect the 160-tile and 166-tile configurations discussed above. All are currently in stock; exact color availability, quantity pricing, and lead times are confirmed at time of quotation.

Making an Informed Decision

The 160 vs. 166 question is not about which count is “better.” It is about understanding what you are buying and whether it matches your actual needs. A thoughtfully assembled 160-tile set with 10 jokers and 6 blanks gives you everything you need for NMJL play plus reasonable spares. A 166-tile set gives you more jokers and potentially more flexibility if you play with house rules that use extra wilds — or if you simply want more insurance against lost tiles.

The tile count printed on the box matters less than the verified specification inside it. Before you order, ask for the joker count, blank count, material confirmation, dimensions, and weight. If you are ordering OEM, put it in the specification sheet. At TileParlor, we confirm these details before every quotation because we have seen what happens when buyers assume and get something different.

This article was prepared using publicly available rule references from Yellow Mountain Imports and Bambird Boutique, combined with verified product specifications from TileParlor’s current inventory. No market statistics are cited without a dated, attributable source. Product specifications are confirmed at time of quotation.