Why should I trust your opinion?
In short: You should not have to take it on trust. Every opinion I give names its method, shows its photographs and states its limits, so you, or anyone you hand it to, can check how I reached it.
An opinion earns trust in three ways. It is independent: I gain nothing from the answer. It is documented: the checks are named and photographed, and the photographs are kept under the retention and consent policy. And it is honest about limits: "inconclusive" is a real finding, and a remote opinion says it was made from your images.
My current standing is stated on my appraisal credentials, and my recorded work is public on the video library.
What you can check yourself
Look at what the report or sheet names: the definition of value and its date, the comparisons behind the value, the checks performed on the card, and the limitations. If any of those is missing, the opinion is weaker, whoever wrote it.
What I will not do
My fee is flat or hourly, quoted in writing, and never a percentage of value, so a higher or lower number earns me nothing. I do not buy, sell, broker or consign cards, and I never appraise a card I previously sold or buy a card I appraised. Conflicts of interest are disclosed in every engagement letter; see what independent means here.