Michigan’s TV Pitchmen #4: Irving Nusbaum

I've shown you some of Michigan's top TV pitchmen: Ollie Fretter, Mel Farr, and Mr. Belvedere...well now, here's another familiar TV salesguy: Irving Nusbaum.

Irv was all over television in the 70s, 80s & 90s as pitchman for New York Carpet World.

He was not unintentionally straight-faced funny as Mr. Belvedere.....he didn't put on a Superman cape and fly through the skies like Mel Farr.....and he didn't try to give you 1 pound of coffee under the guise of 5 pounds like Ollie Fretter.

Mr. Nusbaum was straight and to-the-point with his pitches. His TV demeanor was basically 'Hey, here are my deals, no frills, boom-bam-that's it, and you should take advantage of 'em while they last.'

Did you ever see him smile in a commercial? Very rarely if at all...and I believe that was a good thing. Good, meaning that he could be trusted. Irv was not a huckster, not giving you a fake smile to get your business...no, he was a shrewd businessman who I feel really wanted to help people afford any carpeting they really needed. I could totally trust this man.

He took over New York Carpet World from his father in 1957 and from there, he made it a household name. His tactics obviously worked, because New York Carpet World hung around for a few more decades until Irv sold the business in the 1990s.

He was a loving family man, and according to his son Robert, “He was the best father anyone could imagine, he had no enemy, every partner became a friend and so did every competitor.”

Irv and his wife Barbara were happily married for 61 years until his death. He died at his home in Franklin just two years ago, on November 27, 2018 at the age of 85.

Mr. Nusbaum used to say on TV, “There never has been, and probably never will be, a better time to get carpet.”

And there never has been, and probably never will be, a better carpet salesman like Irving Nusbaum.