Heinz,
I agree with what you say! Many Luger collectors want the absolutly mint pieces and when they are found, they are expensive. But, have these MINT pistols been reworked, restored, enhanced, etc.? Some are so good I can't tell. A good example of this is a P.38 "0" Series a friend has; this pistol was restored and the job so good, I could tell it from a mint piece except that it seemed to be in too good of condition to be original. I guess that the only thing we can do is rely on our knowledge to recognize an enhanced firearm. I don;t see anything wrong with enhancement as long as the seller notes this to the buyer, but years down the road, we will never know the truth about that enhanced piece and it's enhancement will be lost forever.
When we see any Luger/weapons that is in absolutly mint condition, we need to check it very carefully. If it truly is original, where has it been over the past 50-80 years; in a desk all this time? If a pistol has been carried much at all in a holster, there will be some blue wear from the movement in the holster. The pistol will have a mint bore, nice color to the blue, little to no mechanical wear, but there should be some tell-tale sign of being in a holster.
Tough questions to answer and so many opinions! <img src="graemlins/icon501.gif" border="0" alt="[icon501]" />
Marvin