What is a trading-card appraisal?
In short: A written opinion of what your cards are worth, under a stated definition of value, for a stated purpose, as of a stated date, with the method and photographs that support it. It is signed and prepared to USPAP standards.
People use "appraisal" loosely for anything from a guess to an auction estimate. When I use the word, I mean a specific document.
What makes it an appraisal
- A purpose. Insurance, an estate, a sale decision, a donation or a dispute. The purpose decides which value is the right one.
- A definition of value. Replacement value, fair market value or another defined standard, named on the report. See which kind of value my report states.
- An effective date. Card values move, so the report says the date the value applies to.
- A method. What I compared the cards against, and why those comparisons fit.
- Photographs and a description of each item, including its condition as observed.
- A signed certification with my disclosures.
Why it matters
Anyone can look up a price. What an insurer, an executor, an adjuster or a court needs is a number they can check: where it came from, what it assumes and who stands behind it. That is what the written report gives them. It is also why the engagement letter fixes the purpose before I start, since a value for insurance and a value for an estate can legitimately differ.
Who it is for
Collectors who need a defensible number before they insure, sell or divide a collection; executors who need a value as of a date; and agents, adjusters and attorneys who need a report they can rely on. In person across the Yuma area, or remotely anywhere in the US.