Q: This roulette wheel was given to my father in 1965. The tag on it said it came from the Hotel Detroiter. The chrome piece in the middle is imprinted "B.C. Wills & Co. Detroit." Value?
A: B.C. Wills & Co. was owned by George Weinbrenner, who discovered a method of curing celluloid so that "square" dice cubes could be made. Before his discovery, dice were not perfect cubes, which affected the outcome of the game. When Weinbrenner bought the building formerly occupied by B.C. Wills & Co., a tool and die manufacturer, he kept the name B.C. Wills & Co. The company was known for making quality dice. Other gambling equipment, cabinets and furniture were also made. Clay Hathaway bought the gaming supply division in the 1980s and the company went bankrupt shortly after. The Detroiter Hotel was built in 1926 and was later demolished. Your 1930s Wills roulette wheel could bring as much as $2,000. For more information about B.C. Wills & Co., visit http://cctn.ccgtcc.com/wills.pdf.
