In this calming episode of The Insomnia Project, hosts Marco Timpano and Amanda Barker welcome back fan favourite Dan Barker for a relaxed conversation about the fascinating world of auctions and collecting. With the show’s signature slow pacing, Dan shares stories from his time working at an auction house and offers gentle insights into what it’s like to navigate the auction floor.
Dan begins by explaining how he first came to work in the auction business and describes the subtle art of reading an auction crowd. The conversation explores how bidders behave, what makes someone a determined auction hunter, and the kinds of strategies people use when competing for an item.
Along the way, Dan talks about his personal collections, including his interest in bells and vintage milk bottles. He shares stories of memorable finds—like the bell he was most excited to discover at an auction—and explains what makes a bell special enough to add to his collection. The hosts also learn about the surprising collectability of old milk bottles and even broken ink wells.
The conversation continues with tales from the auction world, including bidding wars, a surprising hidden treasure discovered in a stovepipe, and a memorable story involving an old rocking chair. Dan also offers helpful tips for anyone interested in auctions, such as how to examine silver objects and how to identify coin silver.
As the discussion winds down, Dan shares what kinds of bells he’s still searching for and how collectors can tell the difference between a hand-cast bell and one that has been pressed or hammered into shape.
With its gentle storytelling and fascinating but low-key topics, this episode offers the kind of quiet conversation perfect for bedtime listening. If you’re looking for a sleep podcast for insomnia or simply want a calm discussion to unwind with, The Insomnia Project provides a soothing escape.
Favourite Quotes:
“I would imagine the Swiss know how to make a bell.” — Marco
“Buy what you like.” — Dan Barker
Connect with us:
Twitter: @listenandsleep
Instagram: @theinsomniaproject
Web: theinsomniaproject.com

​Bells & Auctions:

 Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane. The person snoring in the background you might hear is a fan favorite. Dan Barker:. That's Amanda's father. I'm in Florida. Amanda's in the pool with her mom and I'm in the kitchen with Dan Barker:. Welcome to the podcast yet again, Dan.

Dan Barker: Thank you.

Marco: : It's always nice to have you here. You're. You're certainly a fan. Uh, you have a lot of fans out there who want more Dan Barker: content, so I'm happy to have you.

Dan Barker: Well, I'm happy to be here. All right.

Marco: : I wanted to talk to you about auctions. Amanda told me that you. One of your jobs, one of your first jobs was at an auction house. Is that correct?

Dan Barker: That is absolutely correct.

Marco: : Tell us more about that.

Dan Barker: Well, when I was in high school, at a very young age, there was an auction gallery that had been in our, uh, town for years. And the owner happened to be friends back in his younger days with my parents. So I kind of got a inside recommendation. Um, and so I was, uh, working in the auction gallery. I was one of the, what we call the holders that would bring items out to be auctioned off, et cetera. And during high school, um, I had other jobs, but if I had free time, I could always get a job there for the night or the weekend or whatever.

Marco: : Was this in Hanover, Mass.

Dan Barker: This was in Hanover, Mass. The name was Cook's Auction Gallery.

Marco: : All right. And what would a holder do?

Dan Barker: Well, our job was to bring items out from, um, the gallery itself and bring them up on stage to be auctioned off. And as simple as that sounds, there is a bit of a science behind it.

Marco: : How so?

Dan Barker: Well, you have to read the crowd. Oftentimes we would get crowds that, uh, were into antiques and old stuff, so they didn't really want to see any modern furniture or anything of that nature. Yet other times, we might get all young couples, and that's all they wanted to see. So you had to know pretty much what the crowd was feeling. And we had some regular customers, so we pretty much knew, you know, uh, what to start with and how to build it up from there.

Marco: : Sure, sure. And what did you learn from that job about auctions and antiques, etcetera?

Dan Barker: Well, it was all basic knowledge, as I call it. Uh, I know enough now, uh, to be dangerous.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: But I don't consider myself an authority on goods or anything of that nature.

Marco: : Share with us some of the tips or the things that you learn that make you a dangerous auction hunter.

Dan Barker: Uh, well, first of all, at an auction, the first step is if you go to an auction, what you should do is survey the gallery itself, see what they're going to bring up for the auction. So get there a little early. Peruse the, um, uh, surroundings, but, uh, peruse the goods they're going to bring up and which ones interest you. And also take a good close look at it.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: Because in auctions, you're buying it in Whatever condition it is, unless it's stated otherwise. Um, the other thing is judge your crowd that you're with. Some people go to the auction just for the entertainment value, but others are there. Uh, they're quite serious, what they're looking for. Um, one of the things that I started to collect actually as a young kid was Civil War uh, mementos column. And, uh, I had those right through high school. And if somebody, uh, brought something up, like a union waistcoat or something that I wanted, uh, you know, I would bid on them even if I was working the auction. Um, the other whatever happened to my collection was I went in the army. Uh, my poor mother. What happened is she took all of my stuff, cleaned my room out and got rid of it.

Marco: : I see.

Dan Barker: So I lost all of the, uh, Civil War stuff I collected, as well as my bicycle, my baseball glove, et cetera. Um, fact of the matter is, we're looking at it at 55 years later and I'm still around.

Marco: : Right. Fair enough. And though you no longer have those items, you certainly have acquired a few important pieces in your collection. Of things you've picked up along the way, would you say?

Dan Barker: Well, some.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: But, uh, I only collect certain things. Sure. And it's, ah, always something that I like.

Marco: : Like bells, for example.

Dan Barker: Like bells? Um, because of my time in the music industry, I'm attuned to, uh, the sound of bells.

Marco: : What makes a good bell for your collection?

Dan Barker: Well, I only collect, um, bronze or metal bells.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: And, um, because I know about the material and how they're cast, etc. Um, but, uh, one of the things you go for in a collection anyway is for pitch. Some are high pitch, some are lower pitch, some have great clarity, others not so much, so.

Marco: : I see, I see. And does an older bell make a different, uh, sound? Like, are they harder to find? Good pitch, older bells, if that makes any sense.

Dan Barker: Well, one would argue sometimes that older bells are, um, aged in, if you will. Sure. And, um, therefore they, they have a better tone. I honestly can't say that I endorse that, but.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: You know, that is how some people look at it.

Marco: : Tell us about your greatest bell find.

Dan Barker: Well, my greatest bell find was actually at an auction in Canada. Okay. And what it was, was an estate auction. And the gentleman who, um, was there, who owned it brought it out, uh, for the auctioneer on a table, he carried, uh, like a card table with these bells. And I looked at them and I counted them, and there were 13. I said, wait a minute, that could be an octave. Of tuned bells.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: So nobody really knew what they were, just where the bells were. In fact, the auctioneer made a statement. He said, uh, they are missing the clapper. And that tipped me off to say, oh, they are tuned bells.

Marco: : I see.

Dan Barker: So I picked those up for a song. Um, if you were to try to buy a set like that, it would cost you approximately, um, $1300 plus.

Marco: : And what is the clapper?

Dan Barker: That is a little thing, uh, that in a normal hand bell that when you twist, um, it and turn and shake it about, uh, rings the bell.

Marco: : Oh, so the part that's inside the bell, the little, um, pendulum type thing, right? Oh, I didn't know that.

Dan Barker: Oh, yeah.

Marco: : I guess that that speaks to what you said before. Know the items that you're looking for. Right.

Dan Barker: The other thing about this collection, apparently the gentleman bought this in pieces because there were bells made in America. But, uh, what I was very pride. Prideful of once I got them were these bells made in Switzerland. Oh, uh, I still have a couple, actually.

Marco: : I would imagine that Swiss know how to make a bell because their cows have bells.

Dan Barker: Yeah, these, I. These are all cast and, uh, um, the logos of the Swiss and what have you are writing the casting itself.

Marco: : Fantastic. Okay, so other than bells, what's something else that you have an eagle eye for? Oh, that's in your collection or in your auction days that you've acquired?

Dan Barker: Well, um, looking back on nostalgic items such as milk, uh, bottles. Oh, yes, we don't have milk bottles anymore. And yet, um, they're quite collectible at this point. In fact, we have right down the street we had a dairy, um, here in Florida. No, no, I'm sorry. Up in Massachusetts.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: And, um, it was called Ritter Farms, and we have a little old cheese box that we found down here in Florida.

Marco: : Oh, here in Florida.

Dan Barker: Yeah. We were at an estate sale and just had to get it because, again, it was home. Um, but I've collected some milk bottles, usually older ones. I started when my wife and I, um, lived in and owned a one, uh, room schoolhouse.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: I went underneath this open, uh, basement area and there were all these broken bottles, inkwells and milk bottles, et cetera. And most of them were broken because what the kids would do is in the opening, they would throw them underneath.

Marco: : So in the opening under the schoolhouse, they would just throw whatever, I guess to see what kind of crash they could make or how far they could throw it.

Dan Barker: So, uh, there was a lot of broken glass, but I found a couple of bottles that were, uh, Intact. I didn't find any inkwells. Intact.

Marco: : But the milk bottles you did. Now, you found a prized milk bottle when we were up near my cottage at a flea market that had a very particular design to it. Remember?

Dan Barker: Yes, actually, I bought a couple.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: Uh, if you remember. Uh, so let me. One was. Looked like a standard quart bottle.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: But what intrigued me is the phone number of the dairy was only three digits. So that was way back, you know, when phones were first out.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: But the second one was one I hadn't seen since my grandfather had, um, a milk delivery service at his house. And what that was was a little bulb on top of the main compartment. And what you would do is you would just sit the milk, uh, out, and the top part would turn to cream, would be cream, and the rest would be the milk. So my grandfather would always his morning coffee, make sure there was cream there. And, uh, when I saw it, I said, wow, I haven't seen one of those in a long, long time.

Marco: : So to describe it, it's almost like you have a glass globe on top of the milk bottle, and in that little glass globe, or circle. Circle, however you want to describe it, the size of a golf ball, would

Dan Barker: you say a little bigger?

Marco: : A little bigger than a golf ball? That's where the cream would sit.

Dan Barker: That's right.

Marco: : And the milk would be underneath, and the cream would act, actually act sort of as a seal to the milk.

Dan Barker: Uh, yeah. I mean, the bottle would have a cardboard cap. Right. Like other milk bottles. Sure. But yeah.

Marco: : And then you would. You could pour the top, which would be the cream, in your coffee. What an ingenious, uh, device that we no longer see.

Dan Barker: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Dan Barker: Another interesting thing, uh, about auctions is many people get into this hypersensitive, I call it area where for some reason they just keep bidding. You know, they go long past what they should have bid and they'll just keep going. And if you get a couple of people that want an item, uh, you'll have a bidding war out there.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: And those are fun.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: You know, who's going to give in first is the thing. And working there, you're always on the lookout for those things to happen. Um, but I actually, uh, worked there not only through my teenage years, but when I got out of the army, um, I also worked for him. Um, I was only 21, but, um, I started working for him during the week. His name was Louie Cook. And Louie would do different things. Like he would buy. He was very big into, uh, plants, Plants, plants. Okay. So every spring would take the, uh, big truck down and just load it up with all these plants. You know, they were, uh, oh, just all types of things that he liked. And that was always a big hit. You know, it might take a couple of weeks to sell them all, but sure. Uh, nonetheless, uh, you know, there was no, um, um, Lowe's or Home Hardware. Home Depot stores.

Marco: : Hardware stores, sure.

Dan Barker: So he, you know, people knew, oh, wait a minute, let's see if Louie's got his plants in yet. And they come down there even during the week, would stay open a little later. But one interesting day is he purchased the contents of a house.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: And it was an older house. Um, it was actually called a tri level up in Boston. And I went there with, uh, a crew of two. He bought everything in there, so everything had to come out.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: And I looked at the stove, and as I'm looking at the stove, I looked at the stovepipe that led outside. I said, that's kind of funny. You don't see those anymore. You know, this guy had a, um, uh, wood burning stove or what, you know, what was this thing? So anyways, I just intuitively I took the stovepipe and I said, well, we'll take the stove. Anyway, so I knocked the stovepipe up. And in back of the stovepipe there was a coffee can. And I said, whoa, that's also very strange. So I grabbed it and it was filled with gold, uh, and silver coins. Oh, wow. Yeah. And being the honest person I was, of course I brought it right back to Louis because guess what? Not only did he have a hobby with plants, but he collected coins.

Marco: : Oh, my goodness.

Dan Barker: So you Know, I was, you know, I was the golden boy there for a long time.

Marco: : Did he ever give you one of the coins as a show of thanks?

Dan Barker: Uh, no, but, uh, again, as a show of thanks. Anyways, he again let me work as much as I wanted. And, you know, um, it worked out well when we first got married because it was a good part time job.

Marco: : Tell me about some of the interesting, unique, unusual items or maybe high valued items that came through that auction house during your time.

Dan Barker: Yeah, you know, um, antiques, especially up around the Boston area, were, you know, highly valued. Um, and so if we had any of those, we knew we're going to sell them. Uh, and Louie was smart enough to be able to appraise him before he went up, so he knew what he had to get for him. But. But, uh, one time we had many outbuildings. These were small sheds around the property.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: Property was approximately five acres.

Marco: : Oh, wow.

Dan Barker: And so some of these outbuildings people hadn't been in for years. And one night I decided I'm just gonna go to, you know, building E here and go in with a flashlight, see what I can. Fine. So I go in and one of the things I saw was this, uh, the remnants, I called it, of a rocking chair. Okay. It was all in pieces. And I said, oh, what the heck, you know, this is the type of auction you never know because the antiques were selling. Anyways, I brought it out. I couldn't believe it. As I, as I'm holding it, everybody's bidding on him. Okay. And the bidding went up and up, uh, and up. Uh, and I'm looking at Louis, the auctioneer. He's looking at me, you know, and his eyes are getting large.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: So we sold that for a pretty penny. And he wasn't even aware that he had it out there. Right. So what happens the next week? Yeah, we're out there cleaning all of the buildings, looking for stuff. Sure, sure.

Marco: : What was it about that rocking chair that made it so prized?

Dan Barker: Yeah, I mean, it wasn't, uh, anything I knew and it was in pieces, so it's difficult to distinguish. So he just called it a Boston rocker.

Marco: : I see.

Dan Barker: And there is such a thing as a Boston rocker. But, you know, don't ask me to tell you what it looks like when it's put together.

Marco: : Was there anything that surprised, surprised you that had value that you found, that went up for auction, or was there a painting that you were like, wow, we didn't, I didn't realize we had that in our collection.

Dan Barker: Every once in a While we would get. Get in, um, a lot of the local artists up around Massachusetts. Okay. And so I got to see quite a bit of the old, uh, people doing, uh, the Yankee clipper ships and what have you.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: And some of those went for good. Good money. Wow. Even though the artist might be unknown or only regionally known. Right.

Marco: : You know, it's interesting. We were watching Antique Roadshow the other day, which is another show that I love to watch because it's a very calm show. Um, and it's interesting. It's fascinating. And it's particularly fascinating watching it with you because of your insight with regards to antiques. And I noticed that a lot of the. I don't know what you call them. I guess the people who appraise the items are based out of Boston. Like, you'll always see their names and then where they're based out of.

Dan Barker: Yeah, there's a few. Yeah. Not only notice where they're based out of, but just hear them talk, you know? Well, you know, I parked my car and, uh.

Marco: : What's funny is you don't have to put on the accent because you.

Dan Barker: No, I know. You still have it. Don't I? You do.

Marco: : Um, what are some tips you would say with regards to when you pick up silver and you're looking at silver, say, at an auction or at a flea market or an estate sale, you

Dan Barker: better know what you're looking at.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: Um, a lot of people will look for, um, the marks. Right. Now, in England, English silver is easy because there'll be a mark showing you the purity of the silver used, where it was cast or made. And, um, often, um, you. By the mark itself, you can go back and figure out who particularly made it.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: Uh, it's not so much. So with north, uh, American silver, I see, uh, American silver, yes. You do have some trademarks and other things, but, um, we just picked up a, uh, floral pot that was made out of silver, and it looks like it's quite old, and there's only one mark on it. It's Canadian.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: So you look for those things. But the other thing is, you gotta know what you're looking at. Right. If you, um. Unfortunately, your viewers can't see it, but that middle, um, cup there. Yeah. That was made out of what they call coin silver silver. And it's most probably 2 to 300 years old.

Marco: : Oh, wow.

Dan Barker: Yeah.

Marco: : Where did you get that?

Dan Barker: Uh, we actually inherited it.

Marco: : Okay.

Dan Barker: Yeah. Um, how long has it been in the family? I. I really can't tell you. There's no Nothing on it, you know.

Marco: : So how do you know that's coin silver, for example?

Dan Barker: Ah, well, take a look and you'll see that it was hammered out very similar to the, the piece we just picked up. The floral. Yeah, the floral arrangement pot. Um, if you look a good silversmith, um, back in the day, I'm talking hundreds of years ago or a hundred years ago anyways, when they hammered everything out, um, you're not going to see very much in hammer marks, but if you look closely, you might just see, uh, such as this one, ah, little piece. And you go, wait a minute, look at those bumps. Right. This was hand hammered out.

Marco: : Wow.

Dan Barker: This. There's also other things about silver. I mean, because of the price of silver on the market, uh, it's surprising what you could pick up. I mean, I used to pick up, uh, uh, silver dollars when I was a kid.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: I think my mother got rid of those too. Um, but I didn't get them. But the, uh. About a year ago I went to an estate sale and there was a key ring and somebody had made a key ring out of a silver dollar.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: And I asked the gentleman, I said, well, what do you want for it? He said, oh, yeah, uh, a buck would do it. Oh, okay. Well, I walked out. It was silver alone was worth, you know, $23 US so, you know, I felt pretty good about that. Uh, I wanted to go back and go through all this stuff.

Marco: : Well, it just goes back to what you said, know the value of the items that you have. Clearly he didn't. And you did the other thing about

Dan Barker: auctions and estate sales.

Marco: : Sure.

Dan Barker: And flea markets, et cetera. Buy what you like. Don't think you're making an investment. When it happens, it's fine. But it's something you may have to live with for quite a while. Um, make sure you like it.

Marco: : I like vases. I like to see vases or vases. And I don't really know much, but I know when I turn them over and I see that it says West Germany or Nippon. I know that they're older pieces. Right. Because it's now it's Germany. It's not separated by east or West. And Nippon is now Japan. And so looking or it's marked as Japan. Now on, on, uh, ceramics and whatnot. Do you have any ceramic tips for me or vase tips for me? I know that I always get what I like. So no matter what it's worth, I'm always enjoying.

Dan Barker: Exactly. But, um, in Japan, Japanese, uh, where Noritake is a good Old name. Right. And under that it will say Nippon.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: It won't say Japan. Then, you know, you've got something, um, uh, you're right about Germany, West Germany, etc. But there's also, uh, a lot of people don't recognize porcelain or, uh, dishware, etc. Right. That came out of, say, the German states. They're not going to say Germany or anything like that, but they might say Westphalia.

Marco: : I see. You know, Bavaria or things like that.

Dan Barker: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh, I mean, Hanover is an old area of Germany, of course. And some people look at it and go, oh, Hanover. Oh, that's up in, uh, New Hampshire.

Marco: : Right.

Dan Barker: You know. No, it isn't.

Marco: : There you go. Well, Dan, thank you so much for sharing all this knowledge you have about auctions. Is there a bell you're looking for that maybe one of our listeners might be like, I know that bell.

Dan Barker: Um, any belt made out of bronze, okay. That is cast. They make bells now out of flat metal. Uh, those are newer bells instead of a cast bells. The old ship bell belts are all cast.

Marco: : What do you mean by cast? Do you mean like hand poured?

Dan Barker: That's right.

Marco: : From. In a foundry, in a mold versus. What would be the alternative? Like spun or like shaped with.

Dan Barker: Well, yeah, it could be spun. Okay. But, um, normally it would be hammered out with automatic cameras, etc, or presses and, uh, you know, there's little value there. Right. Unless it's gold or silver.

Marco: : But what tells you that it's cast? Is there something that you look at that you're like, this is cast versus one that's hammered out or one that's.

Dan Barker: Yeah, actually, there's a couple of things you look for. One is look inside the bell.

Marco: : Oh.

Dan Barker: Because after they cast it, they may try to tune them to a note. Uh, and you'll see the lathe marks on the inside going a. Usually they go about halfway up and stop. And the rest is rough. So if you see a rough surface, good chance it's cast.

Marco: : Great.

Dan Barker: Yeah.

Marco: : Uh, well, thank you so much for that, listeners. I hope if you're still awake, you got some value out of those tips that Dan gave us with regards to auctions. And I hope that if you're not with us that you were able to listen and sleep. We'll have more of Dan Barker: in December when our holiday episodes come. Come out. And I'll be back in Florida in December, so maybe you and I will record some more episodes for our listeners. Thank you, Dan.

Dan Barker: Sure. Well, thank you for having me.

Marco: : And thank you once again to all our listeners.

On today’s calming episode of The Insomnia Project, hosts Marco Timpano and Amanda Barker ease into a gently meandering conversation about nails in all their forms—from the practical nails hidden in your walls to the colourful ones at the ends of your fingers and toes. This quiet, easygoing chat is designed to help listeners unwind, relax their minds, and slowly drift toward sleep.
Marco begins by talking about nail pops, those small bumps that sometimes appear in drywall, explaining what they are and why they happen. It’s the kind of simple, everyday topic that fits perfectly into the show’s relaxing style of slow, thoughtful conversation. Amanda then shares her appreciation for renovation television once again, highlighting some of her favourite hosts—this time focusing on Joanna Gaines and Egypt Sherrod and the calming appeal of home improvement shows.
The conversation gently shifts to Amanda’s recent gel manicure journey, including the colours she has been trying and the small rituals that come with maintaining polished nails. Marco shares that while he appreciates the results, he doesn’t particularly love the experience of getting manicures or pedicures himself. Amanda wraps things up with a soothing story about a relaxing leg massage, bringing the episode to a calm and cozy close.
If you’re looking for a relaxing podcast for sleep, quiet bedtime listening, or a gentle show to help with insomnia and nighttime anxiety, this episode offers the kind of low-stakes conversation that makes The Insomnia Project a favourite sleep podcast for many listeners. It’s also a great companion while working, unwinding after a long day, or settling into bed.
Connect with us on social media:
Twitter: @listenandsleep
Instagram: @theinsomniaproject
Visit: theinsomniaproject.com
Email: [email protected]

​Nail Pops, Nail Sales and Nails
(Original airdate 2022)

Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about just ordinary things to help lull you hopefully to sleep. At the very least, we hope that it will relax you. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano, and joining me is Amanda Barker.

Amanda:Hi, how are you?

Marco:  I'm good, Amanda. You know, uh, our listeners listen to help find their way to sleep. And I just want them to know that for the last couple of days, I've had trouble falling asleep, so they're not alone. And I hope that this podcast episode helps them. And we're gonna talk about nail care and nail styles and nails in the home.

Amanda:Nails in the home?

Marco:  Yeah, I'll get to that.

Amanda:Oh, my goodness.

Marco:  Unless you want me to get to that right away.

Amanda:I'm, uh, just curious maybe, because I, uh, wait in anticipation to find out what that means.

Marco:  So you know what nail pops are?

Amanda:No.

Marco:  Nail pops are where you have small circular bulges on the walls or ceiling of your home.

Amanda:Oh, you're talking nails to hammer, like to use for pictures?

Marco:  Uh, yeah, nails. Well, these are probably decorative plates or drywall nails in this case, or nails that are securing things in the wall and then they pop out and you see them.

Amanda:So not Fingernails.

Marco:  Well, you'll be talking about fingernails. I just figured I would.

Amanda:That's what you think.

Marco:  Well, nails is the subject of today's episode, so, uh, it can run the gamut. But I just thought, I'll talk about nail pops, because I was reading a little bit about them, and I thought it was.

Amanda:What is that called? A homophone, when two things sound the same, but they're two separate and different things?

Marco:  Yeah, I don't know. I know what you mean. I don't know the term for it.

Amanda:I think it's a homophone. I will.

Marco:  I'll go with that. Uh, in the meantime, I'll talk about nail pops. So, please, I want to know what

Amanda:a nail pop is. It sounds like a delicious snack.

Marco:  So pop nails or spots where these nails have worked loose over the years. You know how homes shift and whatnot, like ours?

Amanda:Yeah.

Marco:  You'll sometimes see those little. Sometimes you'll actually see the nail head because the drywall or the plaster will have popped out. I'm gonna take this from Bobvilla.com because I think he explains it the best.

Amanda:This is a homophone, by the way. I did look it up.

Marco:  So, okay, so that's awesome. So a homophone is homophone. Homophone is homophone. Well, I think it's a homophone.

Amanda:I think it's pronounced homophone, but now I don't know because maybe I haven't said it since I was a little kid and I had a Bostonian accent, so I don't know. Anyway, a, uh, um, homophone. Ah. Is, as I said, each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins or spellings. For example, new and new with a

Marco:  K. Oh, I see.

Amanda:Okay. So nail and nail. But these are the same spellings.

Marco:  Oh, that's true.

Amanda:Yeah. But I think. I still think it's a homophone because it's. They're two very different objects in English.

Marco:  I see. Well, with regards to nail pops. Nail pops are largely due to wood and drywall movement, and it often appears within the first year of construction of that home. That's when you'll really see why.

Amanda:Because it's just beginning to settle, I guess.

Marco:  I guess that's when the weight of the home sort of really starts to settle. I don't know. I'm not a Bob Vila type.

Amanda:Okay.

Marco:  But I'm handy enough. Lumber used to build homes may contain moisture, Amanda. Uh, which is often absorbed from the humidity in the air. While lumber is stored in open air warehouses after construction, as the wood slowly dries the studs may shift or twist slightly. This can cause individual nails to move. And when a nail holding drywall moves, it loosens the joint compound, covering the nail. That's the little putty that you put to cover the nail before you paint the house. Once it's been secured. Once the drywall has been secured, the result is a tiny bulge on the wall surface, or in some cases, a visible nail head. If the drywall compound comes loose and falls away. We have that in our kitchen ceiling right now.

Amanda:We do, yeah.

Marco:  There's a. You can see the nail head. I just gotta patch that up.

Amanda:So is this more common with wooden homes?

Marco:  This is the most common cause of nail pops, and it's completely cosmetic. So if you have a nail pop, you don't have to wor. There are no structural issues to worry about, and the repair is fairly simple. I think it appears in more modern constructions than older homes, because back then, they didn't use drywall as much as plaster and other items. But they did secure wood. I don't know, Amanda. That's a great, great question.

Amanda:Just because if it's wood related or that's the most common cause, I would think it would be less of something that you would see in brick homes like our home.

Marco:  According to Bobvilla.com it's both the wood and the drywall.

Amanda:Oh, I see.

Marco:  And to repair popping nails with screws, just tap on the nail back down with a hammer. It will solve the immediate bulge problem, but eventually, the nail will probably work its way back. So a better solution is to tap the nail back down and insert two drywall screws into. Into the stud, One about an inch above the nail and one about an inch below the nail. So that, in other words, the screws are now doing the work the nail isn't, and you've pushed the nail in.

Amanda:Right.

Marco:  The screws will attach to the drywall, panel will be secured to the stud, and you don't have to worry as much. And then you just patch over the screws and the nail and then paint.

Amanda:Drywall is an interesting thing because I have noticed in my watching of, uh, home design shows that certain areas of North America call it Sheetrock.

Marco:  Yes, that's right.

Amanda:Yeah. Um, there's one very popular show that I love. Probably my favorite show, or one of them anyway. Um, now I'm trying to remember the name hometown, which, uh, takes place in Mississippi. Um, and this is good to know, too. If English isn't your first language and you hear them, even if it is, you Hear them interchangeably. Drywall and Sheetrock. On that show, they say sheetrock, but I've always known it as drywall. I've never heard of sheetrock, or if I have, I didn't realize that that was drywall.

Marco:  But, Amanda, I think they're two different things.

Amanda:Oh, really?

Marco:  Drywall is made with a chalky, compressed compound. Sheetrock has more of a rock center. I'll look it up.

Amanda:I'm not sure about that. I think it's the same, but definitely look it up. It's one of those things. So in the States. And I say this because my parents lived in Tennessee. My family lived in Tennessee for a while. Um, uh, there's the Mason Dixon line, which I think runs through Tennessee. The Mason Dixon. It's, I think, a highway, now that I think about it. And so there's certain words that you say. You won't see that above the Mason Dixon line, or you won't see that below the Mason Dixon line. And it's always sort of referred to very casually as the divider between north and south, which I always find very interesting. But the word for soda versus Pop, the word for Sheetrock versus Drywall, if it is the same thing, um, another thing that has had a lot of different terminologies thrown at it is wooden paneling or wooden siding. The Texans of the TV show, um, the Magnolia people, Chip and Joanna Gaines. I mean, they have a whole empire now, but it started with, uh, um, that show that I don't remember the name of.

Marco:  But anyway, Farmhouse Fun.

Amanda:I don't think it's farmhouse Fun, but they are really kind of the founders of the modern farmhouse movement. And, um, they have taken this term. Well, we'll talk about that in a second. Do you have an answer?

Marco:  I do. So drywall is a simple panel made of gypsum plaster covered with heavy paper.

Amanda:Okay.

Marco:  And you are right. Sheetrock is a trademark brand of drywall manufactured by, uh, the U.S. gypsum Company. So it's just the name. Like Kleenex is associated for tissues or fridge.

Amanda:Or is that refrigerator? No, refrigerator is the name of the thing. But a fridge is from Frigidaire.

Marco:  Frigidaire is, well, I guess fridge, refrigerator.

Amanda:But just thought there was more to that.

Marco:  Um, some people say Hoover for vacuum, and so.

Amanda:Really?

Marco:  Yeah.

Amanda:Oh, the Hoover.

Marco:  Yeah.

Amanda:Oh, interesting. Um, so the one in, um. And you may want to look this up. I don't know, but the one in that Chip and Joanna game show, it's like, what is the name of that Renault Flip?

Marco:  I'LL look it up.

Amanda:Something flip. I think flip is in the name. I mean, all of the names in these shows are so similar. But anyway, um, the number one thing that came out of that show and that show's been. Hasn't filmed in a long time, but, um, is Shiplap. Suddenly, all wooden paneling is called shiplap now because they use the term shiplap. And what I'm talking about, when I'm talking about shiplap is that, um, side wooden. Usually paneling, um, that's horizontally laid. We call it something different up here. When we did it at the cottage, it was called tongue and groove. Right, Tongue and groove. Um, but now people see and go, you put shiplap in, which was not a term anyone heard. Um, the original, um, wood, or some people call it horizontal paneling or wood paneling. So there's a lot of terms for shiplap as well. But shiplap, because of the popularity of that TV show, which, again, south of the Mason Dixon line, filmed in Texas, Waco, Texas, uh, where they have their empire, various TV shows. She has a cooking show. They have a magazine.

Marco:  Fixer Upper.

Amanda:Fixer Upper. That was a. Yeah, See, it's so simple, you almost forget it. But, yeah, Fixer Upper.

Marco:  Now, I want to go from home, Reno repair and Reno shows to your nails on your fingers.

Amanda:Well, let's use Fixer Upper as the gateway, because Joanna Gaines always has black nail polish.

Marco:  Oh, she has black nail polish.

Amanda:She always wears black nail polish. And actually, I have to say, I got black nail polish about a week ago, and I was thinking of Joanna Gaines and how good it always looks on her.

Marco:  Is she goth?

Amanda:No. It's an interesting choice.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:No, they're, um, Christian American family.

Marco:  Well, you can still have a bit of goth in you.

Amanda:That's true. Goth can come in any form. It's true, as can Christianity. But, uh, their whole thing is happily ever after. I hope you're in that home. Happily ever after. But, uh, she always wears black. She has such effortless style. I think it's one of the attractions of that show. But she always has black nail polish. And on her, it just looks so classic and interesting and just an updated version of the classic red nail. Really?

Marco:  She's not trying to hide a bruise from nailing nails in the wall where she hits her nail and then bruises her nail?

Amanda:I have no idea. I mean, I didn't even think of that. But anyways, I got black.

Marco:  Joanna Gaines, if you're listening, let us know.

Amanda:I got black nail Polish. Um, I hope I haven't said anything disparaging about them. I don't think I have.

Marco:  No, you haven't.

Amanda:You have. I quite love them. I subscribe to their magazine.

Marco:  You watch their shows.

Amanda:I'm a big fan of the Magnolia Empire. In fact, I want to go to Waco, Texas, to go see the store and stuff.

Marco:  I have to say, of all the hosts on those shows, Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip are actually very lovely.

Amanda:They're very lovable.

Marco:  Most hosts on those Reno shows are really lovely, but they are in my top top three, for sure, I think.

Amanda:And we talked about Egypt before.

Marco:  Who is awesome. And spoiler alert, Egypt and her husband. I'm sorry, I don't know her husband's name.

Amanda:I'll look it up. I think it's Mike, but I want

Marco:  to say Mark, but I think it is. Mike, um, won that show that we were talking about, Rock the Block, and we were so happy.

Amanda:Absolutely. Yeah. Egypt and Mike. Egypt, Sherrod and Mike Jackson. I thought it was Egypt.

Marco:  And she liked our post, our Twitter post.

Amanda:Well, we love her. Yeah, we're happy they won too, because they did some fine work on that show. You'd think I'd watch HGTV non stop for the amount I talk about you kind of. Do you know why? Because it is my go to soothing thing. Watching Home Reno, uh, is a soothing thing for me. So I feel like I'm in a soothing place when I'm here.

Marco:  I'm gonna just say this for hgtv. Egypt and Mike should have their own show.

Amanda:They have. Oh, they do. Okay. That's how they were on Rock the Block. They're one of the stars of hgtv.

Marco:  They need a star. Second show. That's how good they are. Where Egypt just dispenses advice. I just want to show where Egypt dispenses advice because I think she's fantastic. But let's get back to it.

Amanda:I feel like you're leaving Mike in the shadows here. Listen, he does a lot of hard labor and good work.

Marco:  Everybody knows behind a talented Egypt, there's somewhere a mic in the background. All right, let's talk about, uh, nails on your fingers.

Amanda:Okay, so anyway, Joanna Gaines and her black nail polish. So, um, I'll tell you, I could have been a great pianist if only I would have cut my nails as a child. But I was quite in the 80s in love with the idea of having beautiful long nails. That was a real mark of beauty in the 80s. It was. You don't remember that uh, no.

Marco:  I just don't understand how you could have been a great pianist because you

Amanda:can't play that when you're a kid. They tell you you can't play the piano if you don't cut your nails.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:And I wasn't really willing to give them up. Quit piano, which was not the best choice because nails grow back and a skill in an instrument kind of leaves you after a while. Now all I can play is Heart and Soul, which I never learned from any lesson. I just learned from Mindy, my friend, when I was in fifth grade.

Marco:  Can you play the flute with long nails?

Amanda:I think. I don't know other than I think Lizzo does. Oh, maybe. Oh yeah, probably. I think the only instrument that really benefits from long nails would be strings. Right. Like if you're self picking like guitars, maybe harps. I know there's more string instruments than guitars and harps, but that's where my brain is. Um, so yeah, I was quite obsessed with long nails, although it never occurred to me that I had to have them matching. I actually had a friend named Natalie when I was, uh, 15, who would always, if she broke one, she'd cut them all. And I never saw anyone do that. And I thought, what sacrifice to cut all your nails. But you know, in retrospect, I had probably very jaggedy nails that were mismatched all the time, but I grew them very long back then.

Marco:  Tell us about your black nails. You started to, uh.

Amanda:Well, I got them, uh, a week ago. I'm not sure.

Marco:  Then you had. What kind of nails did you get?

Amanda:Oh, I got shellac.

Marco:  So tell us about that versus regular nails. Shellac, nails versus regular nails and what the process is.

Amanda:Here's the thing. So shellac is the number one. You know, if you're somebody who listens and you don't, nails are not your thing. You're not getting many petties all the time.

Marco:  That was Amanda kicking the.

Amanda:I wasn't kicking, it shifted.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:I was bringing my foot down.

Marco:  Mhm.

Amanda:Do you want to.

Marco:  No, it's fine. Continue.

Amanda:Okay. Um. Nora Ephron actually talks about this, how people didn't used to dye their hair and then suddenly people started dyeing their hair all the time. And it was the same with nails nobody had. You'd put your own nail polish on and that would be it. You'd have a bottle of red at home and you'd slap it on sometimes.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:And that would more or less be it for years. And then shellac came and I think with the Birth of shellac, acrylic nails, biogel, all these things became the birth of all these nail salons that you now see in pretty much every town or city.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:And, um, I love the experience of getting them done. I love going and getting shellac. And again, I'm using the term shellac, it's such a harsh sounding term. But, um, whatever. It is a permanent nail color or treatment that stays on your nail and grows out with your nail. Generally speaking, it doesn't chip off and

Marco:  it's just a lot of layers of nail polish. Is that what shellac is?

Amanda:No, no, it's a sealant. So it's a whole. So they use UV light. Um, so what they normally do is they put a coat on and then they apply the color. And each time they apply the color, you put your hand into a UV light and it seals it. You can feel it kind of sealing into the nail. Yeah, it has almost like a, a hot feeling on the nail under the nail bed. And you put it under this UV light, like a sun lamp almost. Uh, but quite bright. And then when you take it out, it's dry. You don't need to wait, have like a fan on it or anything like that. Um, and depending on the color, that depends on the coat. So with any nail polish. So you could, if you did like that. I did a yellow a couple weeks ago, maybe a month ago, and the yellow took like six coats. It took forever to get that yellow. So I promised them next time I come, I'll do a dark color because dark usually takes less.

Marco:  And so you went with black?

Amanda:I went with black. Good old Waco, Texas, Joanna Gaines, black. Um, and it was great and I was happy. And then last night I had to go and get it removed because that's

Marco:  why nails and nail care and getting your nails done was in my head for this episode.

Amanda:The reason I had to get it removed was because I'm shooting a, ah, commercial like I do. And because shellac is not something that you can show up on set and they just take it off. You need, um, a tool. A tool. Well, and also acetate. Is that what it's called? That's what gets off the paint. So usually what they do is they wrap it. You soak your fingers in acetate and they. And they wrap it in foil so the acetate can just kind of sit there and do, um, what it needs to do. And then when they take the foil off, it's kind of all peeled up.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:And then they take a tool and really Kind of scrape it off like you'd scrape a windshield.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:Yeah, Kind of thing. Um, and then, you know, it's everywhere. And then they redo it. So last night I got my black nails that were freshly done off because they decided they did not want this character that I'm playing to have black nails, which is fair. And I made a point of asking to make sure. And, uh, now they're just clear. So they're pretty basic. They're just cut and clear now.

Marco:  Amanda, you enjoy getting your nails done? I've had my nails done for commercials as well. Because as our listeners may know, and if there's any new listeners, you'll be hearing hearing this throughout the episodes and seasons. I'm also a hand model.

Amanda:Mhm.

Marco:  And if I book a gig, I'm asked to get my nails done. And it's a process that I don't enjoy. But you seem to enjoy it. You find it very relaxing.

Amanda:But have you gotten your feet done? That's the relaxing part.

Marco:  I have had my feet done and I don't enjoy it.

Amanda:It's not for me.

Marco:  No, I don't. You know, I don't.

Amanda:No. I didn't know that.

Marco:  Remember when we were in the airport in Atlanta and I had to get my nails done because we were coming back home and I was a little bit cross with the nail technician because they were doing the shape of my nails not the way I like it or not the way. Not even.

Amanda:Not the way I like it. I didn't realize that was the airport in Atlanta.

Marco:  Yeah. We had a long layover and I had to have. Or I was. I had a hand audition coming up.

Amanda:Mhm.

Marco:  And so I. You had said, well, there's a nail place right here. We have some time. Why don't we go and get our nails done? And I said, okay. And I explained specifically the shape. I need a half moon shape. Um, and they were doing more of a square shape. And I was like, no, I really need a half moon shape for my nails. And it wasn't quite. I wasn't quite connecting with the technician. And then you spoke to your technician and they made it right for me. They said, okay, let me explain to the nail technician exactly what your husband needs. And it was all fine, but I just, it's just not an experience I particularly enjoy. But you always seem to be happy to go to the nail salon.

Amanda:I'm, um, more happy the nail salon. I'm happy to have nice, fresh, clean hands that I don't have to think about or worry about, because when you use normal nail polish and you have any kind of life, it chips off very quickly. Doesn't so much on your feet because they're covered in socks and shoes. And you know, you're not using your feet to open jars and you're not scrub. Some people might be scrub sinks or whatever and yes, I am. Um, but when you have shellac, you can clean a house in them and you won't get a chip. Usually. Sometimes you do, but not normally.

Marco:  So let me ask you this, Amanda. Um, what about once you get the shellac or your nails done, what do you need to care for them? Like, what's some nail care tips you would give?

Amanda:Keep, uh, your hands moisturized? I think that's the main thing because your cuticles will get dry and see, the reason I like getting them done is I have quite a tendency to pick at them. So when I have my nails clean and nice, there's something about them that I'm less likely. Also, there's nothing to pick at because they've been taken care of. Because that's my thing is I'm trying to make it better when I'm picking. But I want to talk about pedicures.

Marco:  Sure, let's do that.

Amanda:Because I do find that very relaxing. And last night when I went, she was massaging my calves and my feet and said, do you want me to do this? If you pay a little extra, I can do both legs, 10 minutes each. And I was like, I just gave her a thumbs up sign, like, go for it. I don't care. Because I was so enjoying it. So it's more like the foot rub and the care aspect. Although there's a real pleasure in having somebody really look at your feet in a way that maybe you don't have access to because bending over and finding a good light and stuff is hard. So, um, having somebody get the cuticles on your baby toe and all of that, there's a real joy there. And, uh, for them to slough off all the calluses that have formed at the bottom of the feet, it's really relaxing.

Marco:  Well, I think as well, when it comes to feet, they get so little attention and care. That's just it, uh, generally speaking. And they work so hard. Your tender tootsies on the bottom of your legsies. And they deserve a little tenderness too.

Amanda:That's why I'm surprised you don't love that.

Marco:  Yeah, I don't love it, but I can understand. I guess what I'm saying is I

Amanda:can understand when they're really working at getting the calluses off. That's like, there's a unbridled joy that happens with that. Uh, and then you just feel like your feet look fresh and new and clean and baby soft. And there's a real joy in that because you're right. They need. Your feet need love.

Marco:  Sure they do.

Amanda:You ask a lot of them. So it's nice to just take, you know, an hour out of a month or whatever and give a little bit of love back. And that's what a pedicure is. That's why people love to do them. And you feel great after you leave.

Marco:  Now, what polish do you always match your nails on your hand polish to your nails on your toes polish?

Amanda:I'm pretty boring. So, uh, I usually pick out my shellac color, which is usually the first thing you do when you walk in, and then say, get me whatever is the closest in my feet. Because I don't want to do the shellac on my toes, because I don't want permanent nail polish on my toes.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:I like to be able to take it off so that I don't have, like, half, you know, and some more money.

Marco:  And you said your toes don't get the wear and tear that your fingers do.

Amanda:Yeah, they're much easier to keep the polish looking great. Like, I felt bad because I was taking the black nail polish off last night, and they looked perfect. Which, you know, usually when you go, it's. You've let it go a while and you get the pedicure, and then you fill it in and you're like, oh, the black has grown out. Oh, I think I have some. Well, it's a gray black. Okay. I'll just paint over it with a gray black, and then that grows out. And then you go, what's a nice bright color that'll look good? This blue or whatever. And, uh, so usually by the time they're at the salon, they're peeling off the past two months of whatever it is that you've put onto those toes, and they sorely need it. Last night was an exception because they. They had been pedicured recently. Yeah, a week prior. But I have to say, my feet and hands feel great, and that's a great feeling.

Marco:  Well, that is a great feeling. Amanda, thank you for sharing all those nail, uh, taking us on that nail journey. And I want to thank everyone for being on this journey with us. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, email [email protected] you can find it in the show notes. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your reviews. Thank you for subscribing. It's my pleasure to be here with Amanda Barker and with all of you.

Amanda:Mhm.

Marco:  We hope you have a great rest of your day, afternoon or evening. And we hope you were able to listen and sleep.