blank tiles

[Talisinbear]

Hi all

My last source for blank tiles Boards & Bits doesn't even list them at present.

Does anyone know of another source for blank tiles?

thanks all

[Icestorm]

Just got hooked onto Carcassonne in the last few weeks while I had friends in town visiting, they brought it with them.  Once I realized there were fan expansions out there I stared looking at how to print my own tiles but haven't had any luck finding somewhere I can get blank tiles from.  I have an idea of how to print them using the CD tray for my printer but don't have any blanks.

Has anyone out there got a source we can get blank tiles from?

[GAKDragon]

I'm sure one of the Board veterans will be around to properly answer your question - I hear there's a way to order them direct from Hans-im-Gluck, but I don't know it. 

My method is rather expensive - I buy the other board games, such as Discovery, New World, the Castle, etc.  I use their meeples for fan-made variants (such as Noblemen), and use the tiles to stick label sheets to. 

I've been buying them from Amazon.com, but I think I'm going to start buying from eBay - looks much cheaper. 

[GAKDragon]

I was just looking at this site, which I had bought wooden pieces from several months ago (ships for the Oceans expansion).  Lo and behold, they sell tiles now!!! 

http://www.spielmaterial.de/english3/  (english site version)
http://www.spielmaterial.de

They sell blank 45 x 45mm tiles (looks like they have a blue front), and also they have a picture of Carcassonne Tiles as one of their product items! 

I know they ship to US, as that's where I live.  Their prices for "meeples" and wooden figurines are fair compared to other stores out there. 

[Icestorm]

Would you be able to include a direct link. I found the custom tiles that appear to be printed but seem to have a higher cost and then found all the even size's with the closest being the 40mm x 40mm square tiles but not the 45mm square tiles.  I'm wondering if maybe I'm just looking in the wrong location.

I really don't want to go the route of buying sets if I don't have to. I know that in reading the forums it seems like lots have went that route. Even if I can find larger sheets of the chipboard I'm willing to cut it down if I have to.  I know someone who has an arbor press they would let me use and there are a few companies locally that would probably produce a rule die for me at a decent cost.

[GAKDragon]

I think I was confused myself, earlier.  I keep the English Standard measurement in my head - square inches.  I can remember that the tile thickness is 2 milimeters, but I get confused between whether they are 40x40 or 45x45.  The 40x40 that you found are the only ones I've seen (in addition to the tiles they have available for custom printing). 

[CKorfmann]

I wasn't able to locate the tiles on the spiel material site.  However, I know that HiG will sell up to 5 sheets of 12 for a total of 60 tiles, but they only ship to European addresses.  There are several members of this site that live in Europe, so if you ask around, I'm sure you'll find someone who'll be your European middleman.  The user Carcatronn runs the Carcassonne Shoppe.  You can find a sticky link in the General threads for his website.  If I remember correctly, he will have them available at his store soon.  (That's right, isn't it?)

Another member had them for sale with plain brown front and back and sold them in lots of 500 and 1000.  There is still a thread for that somewhere here.  You could PM him (chri5lynn) and see if he still has any, but I think they are gone.  Some of the stores that were selling them online got them from him.  Several of the members here bought them, myself included.  Sadly, I haven't had a chance to use them yet.

I believe the correct measurement is 45mm square, or 44.something.

[Scott]

You can find the measurements of everything at the link in my signature.

[Icestorm]

I thought about trying to contact the person behind the username chri5lynn but I think the last post I seen from him was like a year ago.  I will look up the Carcassonne Shoppe you mentioned and try contacting him to see if he will be selling them. I'm willing to wait a bit if I have to.  The friend that introduced me to the game won't be back home till sometime in December(we live in Michigan, and he moved to Florida) and I was hoping to be able to give him a full set of the fan expansions as a Christmas present.

As for the spiel material site I sent them an email yesterday after I posted asking them if they carry them in just a 45mm square unprinted tile. And if they do what the price would be.

The 5 sheets of 12 would be a way to start but I quickly see myself wanting more than that. Some of the fan expansions alone require more than that.

I've also made a post here http://superiorpod.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=itemrequest&action=display&thread=88 inquiring about them producing them as they are doing Catan style hex ones already.  I think I found them through boardgamegeek.

As for how I was thinking of printing them if you look at http://cleversomeday.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/print-chipboard/ it shows the basic concept.  I took my CD tray and made a cardboard insert for it that didn't have anything cut out of it like her's does and in just playing it appears i'm able to get somewhere between 2 to 3 tiles per print out.  While it would take some time to do I think this would provide the best output.  once i can get a few tiles to test with I will report back and share my templates.

[Scott]

That CD tray thing is interesting; I had no idea that some printers would support such a thing. I've only ever seen peel-and-stick labels that are CD-sized, and of course Lightscribe.

[Carcatronn]

The user Carcatronn runs the Carcassonne Shoppe.  You can find a sticky link in the General threads for his website.  If I remember correctly, he will have them available at his store soon.  (That's right, isn't it?)

Yes that's correct, however, both HiG and RGG are dragging their feet on this one. HiG was going to allow me to join production until RGG wanted to. Now I have to wait on both of them, which sounds like possibly early 2012. I won't be able to sell any of the blank tiles I have now until then either 

[Icestorm]

That really stinks. So you have blank tiles and are unable to unload them? What do you mean by them allowing you to join production was that just for blank tiles? And when you mention about RGG wanting to does that mean we might be able to starting getting blanks from them?

In a way I understand there reasoning they don't want someone to start selling printed tiles and then have people come to them if there are problems with them. But at the same time I don't see the people from sites like this getting them and selling them to anyone but each other on the site. I wouldn't have a problem at all purchasing them from the person who created the fan expansion if I knew that they were getting the money for them and they were of a decent quality. I realize they will probably never be quite to the quality of the ones from HiG or RGG but that's fine by me as long as they feel the same when being pulled out of the bag and when you play them with other tiles they at least look close.

As far as the CD printers go they have been around for quite some time. They sell CD's that are all white on top that are designed for printing directly onto. I've never heard of someone adapting them to other uses likes but have always thought it to be possible.  When you look at the thicknesses they aren't that far off either so I don't see why it wouldn't work at all.

[Carcatronn]

That really stinks. So you have blank tiles and are unable to unload them? What do you mean by them allowing you to join production was that just for blank tiles? And when you mention about RGG wanting to does that mean we might be able to starting getting blank tiles from them?

Since RGG sells to the USA, HiG wants to make sure they are okay with me selling a new item (blank tiles) in the same territory.  My understanding you must be a company to by direct from the manufacturer, as everything is in bulk.  I will let you guys know once I can start selling them.

[Scott]

From an inventory and distribution perspective (because I'm taking Operations Management classes in my spare time), if others are distributing blank tiles, that reduces the amount of blank tile inventory that RGG and HiG would need to keep on hand for fan creative purposes.