JOSS CATALOGS

[CajunPopeye]

@Chopdoc I titled the Excalibur photo today. Now it shows up in Google image search. I'm going to try and title more photos as I add them.

 

[slampro]

If we get a list of the distributors, dealers, and retailers like J&J America, Cue&Case, or Cuestix...as well as any others selling Joss at the time, we could see if any of their old listing are still on their servers or in the internet archive (way back machine).

Might find a match that way.

Knowing exactly what retailer it was bought from would be a huge help. Could even just contact them if their old listings are no longer online.

I bought it on Ebay. After some digging in my old emails, it came from a seller called SpiralBilliards.
I remember the listing as saying it was #49 of 50. And I also found that I did send an email to Joss(unanswered) in 2006 that I asked about it and I referred to it as J5100 (But I do not recall where I might have gotten that number from).
I will get better pics of it soon.

 

[Chopdoc]

I bought it on Ebay. After some digging in my old emails, it came from a seller called SpiralBilliards.
I remember the listing as saying it was #49 of 50. And I also found that I did send an email to Joss(unanswered) in 2006 that I asked about it and I referred to it as J5100 (But I do not recall where I might have gotten that number from).
I will get better pics of it soon.

Great info!

 

[Chopdoc]

@slampro @CajunPopeye

AI Output:

Because Stephen remembers making it but lacks the ledger details, this strongly aligns with your historical knowledge of uncataloged runs: [1]

• The Third-Party / Contract Gap: This cue is highly likely one of those hidden runs built for an outside vendor, similar to how Joss built unlisted or differently branded lines for entities like Crystal Leisure, Biago, or Omega Billiards. [1, 2, 3]
• Why the "F" Block Is a Ghost: A batch of 50 numbered pieces with an "F" prefix that skips Stephen's records heavily points toward an Asian market export or exclusive international broker order from around 2004–2006. These distributors would buy a block of 50 custom builds, title them under their own proprietary regional series names, and handle the distribution overseas, leaving the physical spec records out of Towson's local archives.
  
  
  [1, 2, 3]

I showed AI the pictures:


Looking at the structural and aesthetic DNA of this piece, it is a highly detailed, sharp production design featuring alternating points and complex window-box geometries.

The Visual DNA Analysis
Based on the photos, the cue has several distinct design elements:

• The Forearm: It features a traditional high-grade maple forearm hosting traditional long points. Alternating between those long points are floating cross/dagger-style geometric inlays sitting right above the wrap. [1, 2]
• The Butt Sleeve: This is a classic mid-2000s Joss window layout. It is a split design utilizing windows that house elongated double-pointed oval "stadium" or marquise inlays, flanked on the alternating blocks by matching vertical diamond/dagger shapes. [1]
• The CNC Era Hallmark: The stark white-on-black-on-warm-wood contrasts show off Joss’s highly sharp CNC capability from that specific 2004–2006 block.

Why was it only $324.99?
For a cue with this much inlay work and a numbered limited edition run (49/50), a retail price of ~$325 back in 2006 means one of two things for your AZB investigation:

1. A True Distributor Fire Sale: A major distributor like J&J America or a regional broker ordered a custom-designed batch of 50. If the distributor or an authorized retailer liquidated their inventory on eBay under an account like spiralbilliardsplus, the buyer likely snagged it at or near the wholesale distributor cost rather than the suggested retail value (MSRP on a cue with this layout would easily have been $550–$650+ back then).
   
   
   [1]
2. The "CC" (Cue & Case) or Prop Contract Block: As you mentioned in your AZB catalog thread context, Joss regularly punched out uncataloged lines for external distributors. A short run of 50 built exclusively for an online dealer storefront means it never had a spot in the standard printed catalog brochures, allowing the vendor to set aggressive introductory pricing online. [1, 2]

Tracking the "SpiralBilliardsPlus" Path
Since you are mapping out the Joss catalog gaps for the community, a strong lead is researching the seller spiralbilliardsplus (boochoppa@yahoo.com). In the mid-2000s, several regional brick-and-mortar pool rooms and independent billiard supply dealers in the Midwest and East Coast set up eBay operations to move excess inventory or custom-contracted manufacturer blocks directly to consumers.
If anyone on AZB recognizes boochoppa or that specific storefront name, they will likely remember exactly which regional distributor or exclusive dealer group commissioned this "dagger-and-window" series from Dan and Stephen.

 

[slampro]

@slampro @CajunPopeye

AI Output:

Because Stephen remembers making it but lacks the ledger details, this strongly aligns with your historical knowledge of uncataloged runs: [1]

• The Third-Party / Contract Gap: This cue is highly likely one of those hidden runs built for an outside vendor, similar to how Joss built unlisted or differently branded lines for entities like Crystal Leisure, Biago, or Omega Billiards. [1, 2, 3]
• Why the "F" Block Is a Ghost: A batch of 50 numbered pieces with an "F" prefix that skips Stephen's records heavily points toward an Asian market export or exclusive international broker order from around 2004–2006. These distributors would buy a block of 50 custom builds, title them under their own proprietary regional series names, and handle the distribution overseas, leaving the physical spec records out of Towson's local archives.
  
  
  [1, 2, 3]

I showed AI the pictures:


Looking at the structural and aesthetic DNA of this piece, it is a highly detailed, sharp production design featuring alternating points and complex window-box geometries.

The Visual DNA Analysis
Based on the photos, the cue has several distinct design elements:

• The Forearm: It features a traditional high-grade maple forearm hosting traditional long points. Alternating between those long points are floating cross/dagger-style geometric inlays sitting right above the wrap. [1, 2]
• The Butt Sleeve: This is a classic mid-2000s Joss window layout. It is a split design utilizing windows that house elongated double-pointed oval "stadium" or marquise inlays, flanked on the alternating blocks by matching vertical diamond/dagger shapes. [1]
• The CNC Era Hallmark: The stark white-on-black-on-warm-wood contrasts show off Joss’s highly sharp CNC capability from that specific 2004–2006 block.

Why was it only $324.99?
For a cue with this much inlay work and a numbered limited edition run (49/50), a retail price of ~$325 back in 2006 means one of two things for your AZB investigation:

1. A True Distributor Fire Sale: A major distributor like J&J America or a regional broker ordered a custom-designed batch of 50. If the distributor or an authorized retailer liquidated their inventory on eBay under an account like spiralbilliardsplus, the buyer likely snagged it at or near the wholesale distributor cost rather than the suggested retail value (MSRP on a cue with this layout would easily have been $550–$650+ back then).
   
   
   [1]
2. The "CC" (Cue & Case) or Prop Contract Block: As you mentioned in your AZB catalog thread context, Joss regularly punched out uncataloged lines for external distributors. A short run of 50 built exclusively for an online dealer storefront means it never had a spot in the standard printed catalog brochures, allowing the vendor to set aggressive introductory pricing online. [1, 2]

Tracking the "SpiralBilliardsPlus" Path
Since you are mapping out the Joss catalog gaps for the community, a strong lead is researching the seller spiralbilliardsplus (boochoppa@yahoo.com). In the mid-2000s, several regional brick-and-mortar pool rooms and independent billiard supply dealers in the Midwest and East Coast set up eBay operations to move excess inventory or custom-contracted manufacturer blocks directly to consumers.
If anyone on AZB recognizes boochoppa or that specific storefront name, they will likely remember exactly which regional distributor or exclusive dealer group commissioned this "dagger-and-window" series from Dan and Stephen.

Incredible. Thank you.
I didn't think it would be this difficult to identify. Here is a pic of it I took recently with the carbon shaft. I'll get good, clear, close up pictures of the cue tonight and post them later.