Quite a while ago I posted a shout-out for help for Babs, a good friend of this blog. You can read the original post at the bottom of this message. Babs has now sent an update and we are appealing to you for help. Here is what she wrote:

Hi Ann! It’s me again! I am just checking in with your readers one more time. I have almost accumulated all the images of the NMJL cards. I am still missing 1946, and pre-1940 cards. I have managed through the generosity of fellow Mah Jongg players nationwide to find images of all the other years! Absolutely amazing! So, if you could post another plea for help I would be most appreciative. Someone must have a friend-of-a-friend with one tucked away somewhere! Feel free to share my email with anyone who can help! Thanks so much! Babs 

If you can help – and I hope you will! – please contact me and I will put you in touch with Babs. 

Here is the original posting: I received an email from Babs, a good friend of this blog. Babs is working on a very interesting and novel project. As she wrote,  “I am looking for older Mah Jongg cards. I am trying to make a complete image collection of all cards from the first year the NMJL made the card to the present. A big task, I know….do you or your “friends” have any  images of cards from the following years: 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1993,  1992, 1979, 1978, 1977, 1975, 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1967, 1966, 1962, and all earlier years. Hope you can help or point me to a friend that can…

I am not aware of anyone else who has tried to put this together. I think it would be fascinating to see all the different hand combinations since the early days of Mah Jongg. Yes, I did get a number of images off eBay, but they are not complete. Most are missing the rules page which tell you the number of Flowers/Jokers for the years, or the images are too blurry to see all the hands. I have googled umpteen hundred searches for every year from 1938 and on (searching: NMJL, Mah Jongg card, Mah Jongg rule, Mah Jongg hands) so far to try and complete this, but there are not enough images online to make complete renderings of all the years. I have managed to buy a lot of cards when they are reasonable in price…but some people are charging $40.00 or more dollars for a single card…ridiculous! Considering I have 78 years to find, that’s quite expensive. Any help is appreciated. I don’t care if they have 6 separate images for each card’s panel or have 2 images , one for each side. I am stitching together what I can….and if anyone wants to donate their cards in the years I noted, I am happy to provide an address to send it to….:)  My oldest card, that I own is 1944.  Let me tell you, there have been some crazy hands……….Thanks! Babs

So, if anyone has cards from the years that Babs has cited, please let me know and I will put you in touch with her. It would be such fun to see the finished product so let’s try to help her, even if we are just loaning her cards to use for the images.

Recently I received a message from Valerie in upstate New York. I responded to her question by telling her that I didn’t think it would be a problem…but then I decided I would let all of you chime in. Please let me know your thoughts…

Hi Ann ~ I enjoy your blog and wonder how you keep up with it!  I have a question about marking my card.  When I first learned to play, I marked my card up a Lot.  Stars, highlights, underlines, notes… I still find those annotations useful.  When I play with my local friends we have a very relaxed atmosphere and no one cares what my card looks like, but I’m wondering if my card would raise eyebrows at tournament play.  What do you think?
Valerie, upstate NY