The Nusbaum

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The Nusbaum

Postby Enzo » Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:18 pm

For years we had ads on TV for New York Carpet World. This was a heavily advertised store chain. Commercials all the time on all stations all hours of the day. Talking to carpet industry people, the chain had about 30% of the flooring market, at least in the markets it served. That is huge.

The spokesman, pitch man really, was Irv Nusbaum, President. He was also one of the owners. "Hi, Irv Nusbaum, New York Carpet world." It was always some big deal, best deal of the year most times. Free labor or free padding, or 50% off or buy two rooms get a third room free, etc etc. Strident pitch for flooring. You couldn't watch TV without seeing strident Irv.

Locally there is Moriarty's Pub in downtown Lansing. A friend of mine was a regular there, it was a couple blocks from his job. He played darts a lot. They had dart leagues, they had about 8 to 10 dart boards. They played a lot of freakin' darts. On the wall behind the dart boards was carpet. They put that up so that darts that missed the board entirely didn't break up the wall board.

Now in the serious play, missing the board is going to get you a ribbing. They call the shot that missed the board and hit the carpet, a "Nusbaum."

Back in about 1982, I was director of field service for a national company, well everywhere east of the Mississippi river anyway. I drove a lot. Every day from my Lansing area home, I drove to Detroit, Kalamazoo, or Toledo, or to an airport. Our home office was in Detroit. I was driving down the interstate on the way to the home office. I saw a disabled car on the side up ahead, and an antsy looking business man standing by the car, so I pulled over to help. We didn't have cell phones then. I remember the guy's name, a Mr. Kaufmann.

Mr. K asked if I could drop him off at the next exit so he could call for help. He had an important meeting to attend. I asked where he was going, and it was not out of my way, I suggested I could just take him on in to Detroit, and he could come back for the car later. OK. And off we went. I asked what he did, and he was a regional manager for... New York Carpet World. You know Irv? "Oh yes, my meeting is with Irv." SO Mr.K made it to his meeting. But on the way, I related to him the story of the Nusbaum dart shot. Does Irv have a sense of humor. Oh sure he does. Well be sure to tell him that at Moriarty's in Lansing...

I don't know if Irv ever heard the story. I haven't been into Moriarty's in 20 years or more, and my pal who went there is dead. And NYCW hasn't existed for a long time - the company was bought by a Georgia carpet manufacturer. So I don't know if they still call it a Nusbaum. But that whole thing is etched in my memory.


One time back in that era, I went down to visit a lady friend in the Detroit area, and we decided to go to dinner at a nice restaurant, The Bijou in Southfield, a Detroit suburb. We were having a nice meal and enjoying ourselves, when a commotion began near the entry, the Mater Dee was fussing around, a nearby table was adjusted and fine tuned and an older couple were seated at the table next to ours. Quite the local celebrities, they were... Mr and Mrs Irv Nusbaum themselves. Other than a nod when he looked my direction, I left them alone. Hey, I don't always misbehave. Irv got more waiters than I did for some reason.

In Detroit, in the 1980s that was what passed for a brush with greatness.
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Re: The Nusbaum

Postby Lance » Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:21 am

What a cool story. Thank you for sharing that.
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Re: The Nusbaum

Postby Heid the Ba » Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:26 am

Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me, and it is a distinctive name. Irv was still alive in 2011 and doing good for the community. I'd say he heard the story and laughed.
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