Bakelite Mah Jongg Game Sets

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I was just looking through EBAY and noticed that the most expensive
games [between $100-$200] are made from bakelite.

Why is this form of plastic so desirable? Color? Resilience? Nostalgia?

Alain

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.mahjong (More info?)

"A.Pismo Clam" <Alaininvc@'86DASPAMnetscape.net>...
> I was just looking through EBAY and noticed that the most expensive
> games [between $100-$200] are made from bakelite.
> Why is this form of plastic so desirable? Color? Resilience? Nostalgia?

The things that make catalin sets (the tiles are not truly bakelite, I've
been told by a friend who is a collector of bakelite radios) valuable are:

1. Suitability for playing modern American mah-jongg (enough tiles, mainly)
2. The rarity of certain types of tiles (especially "enrobed")
3. The beauty of the tiles
4. The condition

You might want to check FAQ 7c for more information about catalin tiles.
Cheers,
Tom

--
Tom Sloper - Game Designer, Producer, Consultant, Author, Speaker.
- The Mah-Jongg FAQs. 100+ web pages of information and bulletin boards
about the game of mah-jongg. http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq.html