The Master of Renovating Okey Stones: Unable to Keep Up with Demand

Yalçın Tatlısu has been renovating discolored okey stones from game halls for about 25 years using his specially prepared paints. Tatlısu, a 59-year-old retired worker living in Körfez, Kocaeli, started this profession about 25 years ago. He noticed that the okey stones in game halls could be renovated and developed his own methods. So far, he has renovated okey stones for about 4,000 game halls.Once serving not only Kocaeli but also Sakarya, Yalova, Bursa, Manisa, and İzmir, Tatlısu now limits his work to Kocaeli, Sakarya, and Yalova. He stated that his profession is still in high demand and that he paints a set for 80 liras. Tatlısu expressed

It's a very good source of income. I'm having trouble keeping up because I'm the only one doing it. There are approximately 2,000 game halls in the Kocaeli, Sakarya, and Yalova area. I'm not able to meet the demand of all of them. Since game hall owners don't constantly need their stones renovated, we become the ones who are constantly in demand.

and emphasized the importance of the fluidity of the paint, explaining that the paint he applies to the okey stones is similar to old car paint, which they soften and adjust to the desired consistency before applying to the stones.