Understanding Your Appraisal Report: Verdict, Confidence, and Value Range

A report is only useful if you know how to read it. Here's what each part of your Smart Vintage report is actually telling you.

The verdict is a starting signal, not a certificate

Likely Genuine, Needs Expert, and Likely Reproduction describe how the visual evidence leans — they're not a legal or insurance-grade authentication. Treat "Likely Genuine" as "worth pursuing further," and treat "Needs Expert" as exactly what it says: this item has real potential, but the photos alone can't settle it. Neither verdict should be the sole basis for a high-value purchase or sale decision.

Confidence measures evidence quality, not value

The confidence score reflects how much the photos actually support the verdict — sharp, well-lit shots of the right details (marks, construction, material) push this up; blurry or incomplete photos push it down, independent of what the item might actually be. A genuinely valuable piece photographed poorly can score lower confidence than a common piece photographed well. If your confidence score feels low, re-shooting with closer detail photos (see our photography guide) is usually the fastest fix.

The value range is a range for a reason

Estimated value always comes back as a low–high range rather than a single number, because real sale prices depend heavily on factors a photo can't fully capture: condition up close, provenance, current buyer demand, and where and how the piece is eventually sold. Use the range as a reasonable starting expectation, not a guaranteed sale price.

Comparable pieces are for context, not proof

The Research tab surfaces real objects from museum collections that share your item's maker, style, or category — a way to visually cross-check your piece against verified examples. They're a research aid, not a claim that your exact item matches a specific verified sale.

When to bring in a human expert

Any high-value piece, anything you're about to insure, and anything flagged "Needs Expert" is worth a specialist's in-person opinion before you act. Your Smart Vintage report is designed to get you 90% of the way there in under two minutes — the last 10%, for the pieces that matter most, is still worth a second pair of trained eyes.