Is there a minimum for a verbal consultation?
In short: Yes: a verbal consult is hourly with a 30-minute minimum, in person or by video, and I summarise what we discussed by email afterwards.
A consult suits people who want to talk a collection through before deciding what they need: which cards might justify a written report, whether grading makes sense, what an insurer will want to see.
It is a conversation, not a report. The email summary records what we covered, but it is not a signed appraisal and it states no definition of value. If you need something you can hand to an insurer or a court, that is a written appraisal.