Mahjong Brand First Order: How Many Sets to Make
The first order sets your unit cost, your cash tied up in stock and how soon you reorder. Size it against sales you expect, not against the lowest price.
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Prices below come from the published price book. Lead times come from our process page. The reorder math uses your own sales rate.
Key Takeaways
- Production starts at 50 complete sets per tile design. Each colorway or artwork collection is its own design with its own 50-set minimum.
- On the published ladder, a two-layer engraved set with UV color fill is USD 69 at 50 sets, 67 at 100 and 66 at 200, FOB Shenzhen. Moving from 50 to 100 sets saves USD 200 in total and adds USD 3,250 of stock.
- Orders of USD 3,000 or less are paid in full before production; above that, 40% starts production and 60% is due before shipment.
- A reorder of an approved design starts at production: about 20 days for 50 or 100 sets, then transit. Reorder when stock on hand covers that lead time plus a safety margin.
- We ship production runs to you, your warehouse or your forwarder. We hold no stock and do not ship single sets to your customers.
On this page
- Size the first order to your sales, not to the price break
- What a 50, 100 or 200-set order looks like
- Several colorways: each one is its own design
- Plan the reorder before the first sets arrive
- Keep the reorder identical to the approved sample
- No stock, no drop-shipping: plan fulfillment before launch
- What to send for a first order
Size the first order to your sales, not to the price break
A mahjong brand first order should cover the sets you expect to sell before a reorder can land, plus a margin. The production minimum is 50 complete sets per tile design. Above that, every extra set lowers the unit price a little and raises the cash tied up in stock a lot, so the sales forecast decides the size.
New brands usually ask the question the other way round: which quantity gets the best price? The published ladder answers that, and the answer is that the price steps are small. The table uses a two-layer, 160-tile set from the custom mahjong set pricing page, FOB Shenzhen.
| Sets per design | Engraved + UV color fill, per set | Order total | UV print + surface coating, per set | Order total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | USD 69 | USD 3,450 | USD 57 | USD 2,850 |
| 100 | USD 67 | USD 6,700 | USD 55 | USD 5,500 |
| 200 | USD 66 | USD 13,200 | USD 54 | USD 10,800 |
| 300 | USD 65 | USD 19,500 | USD 53 | USD 15,900 |
| 500 | USD 64.50 | USD 32,250 | USD 52.50 | USD 26,250 |
Moving from 50 to 100 engraved sets saves USD 2 per set, USD 200 across the run, and adds USD 3,250 of stock. Moving from 100 to 200 saves USD 1 per set and adds USD 6,500. If the extra sets would sit in a warehouse for months, the discount does not pay for the cash they hold.
These are reference prices for the listed configuration. Other tile counts, bodies and layer builds are confirmed on the quote, and accessories are priced on their own lines.
What a 50, 100 or 200-set order looks like
Each size suits a different stage of a new brand. Fifty sets tests one design with the smallest cash outlay. One hundred sets is a fuller launch of one design or a test of two colorways. Two hundred sets suits a brand with presales, a retail partner or a confirmed sales channel. The table below sets them side by side.
| 50 sets | 100 sets | 200 sets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price, two-layer engraved | USD 69 | USD 67 | USD 66 |
| Payment terms | Engraved, USD 3,450, above USD 3,000: 40% deposit, 60% before shipment. UV print, USD 2,850: paid in full | Above USD 3,000: 40% deposit, 60% before shipment | Above USD 3,000: 40% deposit, 60% before shipment |
| Production after sample approval | About 20 days | About 20 days | About 25 days |
| Packaging | Standard shrink-wrap export packaging | Standard shrink-wrap export packaging | Standard shrink-wrap export packaging |
Payment follows the order value. Orders of USD 3,000 or less are paid in full before production, so 50 UV-printed sets at USD 2,850 are paid upfront. Above USD 3,000, a 40% deposit starts production and the 60% balance is due before shipment.
Packaging is the same at all three sizes. Printed retail boxes start at 1,000 pieces per design, so a first order ships in the included shrink-wrap export packaging with stock dice. Plan your own retail packaging, or a box order of its own, as a separate decision.
Several colorways: each one is its own design
Each colorway or artwork collection is a separate production design with its own 50-set minimum. Two colorways at 50 sets each is a valid order of 100 sets, but each line is priced at the 50–99 row. One design at 100 sets is priced at the 100–199 row, USD 2 per set lower.
A brand launching three colorways therefore starts at 150 sets. Picking sheet colors from the in-stock color board keeps every colorway on one calendar with no added lead time. A Pantone-matched sheet adds about 15 days for the sheet and about 10 extra days on the sample, and a 100% match is never promised.
Every new design also needs its own approved sample. One complete custom set costs USD 500 including courier, paid separately and never credited to production. Three colorways mean three sample decisions before the first production run starts.
Plan the reorder before the first sets arrive
Place a reorder when the stock you hold will just cover sales during the reorder lead time, plus a safety margin. Retailers call this the reorder point: daily sales multiplied by lead time, plus safety stock.1 For a mahjong brand, the lead time is quote and payment, production and transit, because an approved design skips the sample.
The reorder lead time, using the estimates on our custom mahjong set production process page:
| Stage | 100-set reorder, approved design | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quote, deposit and material check | About a week in this example | Depends on how fast payment clears |
| Production | About 20 days | 25 days for 150 or 200 sets; 30 days for 300–1,000 |
| Transit by air | About 10–12 days | Fast sea about 25 days; regular sea about 35 days |
| Total by fast sea | About 52 days | About 7.5 weeks |
A worked example: a brand sells 10 sets a week and reorders 100 sets by fast sea. Lead time is about 7.5 weeks, so it sells about 75 sets while the reorder is on its way. With a two-week safety margin of 20 sets, the reorder point is about 95 sets. A brand with a first run of 100 sets that sells at that pace needs to reorder almost as soon as the first shipment lands.
That example is the usual surprise for a new brand. A small first order sells out before a reorder can arrive unless the reorder is placed early, sent by air, or sized larger. The custom mahjong launch timeline works the same calendar backward from a holiday arrival date.
Keep the reorder identical to the approved sample
Reference your earlier order and approved sample when you request a reorder. We check whether the artwork, dimensions, layers, colors, accessories and packaging are unchanged, and check current materials, before confirming the quote, the schedule and whether a new proof or sample is needed.
Three habits keep a reorder simple:
- Keep the approved sample set as the reference and do not edit the artwork files between runs.
- Use sheet codes from the in-stock board when you can, so the same codes are available for the next run.
- Treat any change, even a small one to a face or a layer color, as a possible new proof or sample, and ask before planning around it.
A reorder is not automatically cheaper. The current price book and the reorder quantity set the unit price. The savings are elsewhere: no sample fee and about four weeks less on the calendar.
Avoid placing a reorder that needs a sample or a production start across Chinese New Year. The 2027 holiday falls on February 6, with public holidays February 5–8,2 and factories and freight slow for several weeks around it.
No stock, no drop-shipping: plan fulfillment before launch
We make every run to order and ship it to you, your warehouse or your freight forwarder. We hold no finished sets, offer no US warehousing, and do not ship single sets to your customers or handle returns. A new brand needs its own storage and order fulfillment, in-house or through a third-party warehouse, before the first shipment lands.
Shipping terms follow the brief: FOB Shenzhen by default, with DDP, EXW and CIF available. A DDP quote needs the full delivery address. Some brands split a run, with a launch portion by air and the balance by sea. That plan is assessed per order once we know how many sets are needed first.
Inspect each delivery within the 7-day landed inspection window and report any damage or specification difference with photos. Custom production has no warranty period; acceptance is against the approved sample.
What to send for a first order
Send a brief that covers every design and the reorder you expect. A complete brief is quoted within 24 hours.
- Number of designs or colorways, and sets per design (from 50).
- Tile count, size, layers, face process and artwork status. We produce from your finished vector files and offer no design service.
- Sheet colors from the stock board, or Pantone targets.
- Accessories and packaging, each with its own minimum.
- Destination, shipping term and the date the sets must arrive.
- Your expected monthly sales, so the quote can flag when the reorder should go in.
When you are ready, design your own mahjong set and send the brief. The manufacturing cost guide explains every line of the FOB quote.
Footnotes
-
Shopify: Reorder point formula — gives reorder point as daily sales velocity multiplied by lead time, plus safety stock. ↩
-
Office Holidays: Chinese New Year in China — lists Chinese New Year 2027 on February 6 with public holidays on February 5–8, 2027. ↩
Frequently Asked Questions
How many mahjong sets should a new brand order first?
Order the number you expect to sell before a reorder can arrive, with a margin. The minimum is 50 complete sets per design. Many first orders sit at 50 or 100 per design, because the unit price changes by only USD 2 between them while the cash needed doubles.
Can I split 100 sets across two colorways?
Yes. Two colorways at 50 sets each is a valid order. Each colorway is priced on its own line at the 50–99 ladder row, which is USD 2 per set above the 100–199 row. One design at 100 sets is a different quote.
Is a reorder cheaper than the first order?
Not automatically. The current price book and the reorder quantity set the unit price. A reorder of an unchanged, approved design usually skips the sample stage, which saves the USD 500 sample fee and about four weeks of calendar time.
Do you keep stock or ship single sets to my customers?
No. Every run is made to order and shipped to you, your warehouse or your freight forwarder. Single-set fulfillment to end customers, US warehousing and returns handling are not offered, so plan a warehouse or fulfillment partner before launch.
How long does a reorder take?
If the artwork, materials and specification are unchanged and the sample is approved, a reorder starts at production: about 20 days for 50 or 100 sets, 25 for 150 or 200 and 30 for 300 to 1,000. Add transit, which is about 10–12 days by air or 25 by fast sea.
Send Your First-Order Plan
Tell us the number of designs, sets per design, your launch date and destination. We reply within 24 hours with the quote, the sample step and the schedule your quantities allow.