What's the best way to tell if a car has been in an accident or toke damage ?

Paint depth meter. Measure the depth of paint on various surfaces of the car and if there are significant differences on the panels, something's been repainted.

You have to look if it looks like a ball of broken metal and glass. That is a good indicator of an accident of some kind.

Toke damage is usually pretty easy to smell - that stuff gets into the upholstery and the headliner.

Carfax

Check panel gaps are equal all over Look for paint overspray. Look for runs in the paint too.