Mahjong Tile Club

Mahjong Tile Club was founded in October 2025 and designs tiles, mats, racks, and bags for mahjong enthusiasts looking for more affordable gear. The company was founded by Jené Hansen and is based in Sunnyvale, Texas.

What do you love most about mahjong?

100% honest, I am not actually that great at Mahjong. But I love the challenge. I want to commit to a line too early and just roll with it. But I love that it is pushing me to think about different things and to think strategically. I used to be a computer programmer and I felt like my brain was quick and I may even have felt like I was kind of smart. This is giving me the hope that my brain will go back even a little to those days and I can be quick and smart again. Most people would say the social aspect and I do love that also. But I mostly just want to be really good at this game. 🤣

Why did you decide to start your own brand?

I played for the first time a year ago with $450 tiles at a friend’s house. I went home and tried to find affordable ones on Etsy and Amazon and ended up getting a Mahjong and Co. set. I loved it, but it felt kind of simple. I liked the fun themed sets. And the ones on Etsy were still well over $300. So I made my own! And so did a hundred other people at the exact same time….But I love that and I love the variety we all have now! I say… keep them coming!

What is special about your products?

Grade A acrylic is grade A acrylic. People think that if you sell a set for less, it is somehow inferior. But it’s really not! (Not to say some manufacturers aren’t inferior. Cause we now know they are. 😏) Since I run the business out of my home, I don’t have to pay any overhead or storage fees. I do sell out often but I have the flexibility to wait and re-order when the timing is right. I don’t have to pay employees and I don’t add all of the bells and whistles. Just cute tiles for those that are looking for a little less cost. And I hope that other people think they are as cute as I do.

Tell us about your design process!

I have a running list of themes that I’m interested in. I hop on Adobe illustrator when I have free time and start messing around with graphics until I find something that I really love. Just one tile design and then I base everything off of that. I love color and things that immediately make you happy! It’s an addictive process and I wish everyone could design their own. It’s so much fun!

Can you tell us about a business challenge you’ve experienced and how it was solved or handled?

I kind of touched on it above. But we are in a world of quick purchases. People don’t always read the listings and we are also very used to Amazon (me included) where we can return anything even if we just changed our mind! People often don’t realize that I can’t resell an item that has already been opened and used at the same price. Luckily it does not happen often, but I did have to discontinue a product I was selling because many people were not measuring in advance. They were add-on pushers that went to magnetic racks. But you had to measure in advance to make sure your racks were the same since there are a few different ones on the market. I opted not to sell them separately anymore and just started giving them as free gifts to people that ordered my racks. Not a major loss, but definitely a learning experience!

Provide a quick overview of your customer service policies.

I state on my Etsy shop that I do not take returns unless something is damaged. But I have not enforced this policy. I just find that it helps people read the listings more thoroughly and not treat it like an Amazon purchase. They’ll actually measure what they are ordering and look at what has been described. Then I don’t get as many people saying the racks were too long or the tiles too big. But I still let those people return also as long as they pay shipping. My overall policy is that I want people to be happy with my products.

Tell us about life before Mhjong!

I have 3 daughters, last one graduating high school this year. Entering the empty-nester phase of life and I’m a little nervous. Finding mahjong has me out meeting new people and getting my creative juices flowing again, which has been a nice transition for me during this phase of life.

I love the outdoors and I play lots of pickleball here in Texas. I love to ski, go hunting and travel to new places with my husband

Lots of new things coming summer and fall!

Check out Mahjong Tile Club!