@eurocelticyankee,
Why is getting appraisals for objects a daft idea? I've seen handfuls of TV shows in which people have done appraisals -
Antiques Roadshow, shows about pawn shops,
Comic Book Men, shows about people getting paid to rummage through stuff and/or move stuff in and out of storage bins, shows in which people get paid to look for and salvage vintage collectibles, etc. I never saw anyone paying anyone to do appraisals for anything in these shows. Appraisals were done on the spot.
Years ago I recall my dad and I taking some old paintings my family had to an appraiser to find out how much they were worth. I don't recall having to pay the appraiser to get that done. If I remember right the appraiser dealt with antique and vintage items- art-related stuff. The paintings we had were decades old but they weren't worth much.