When looking at Parkers in the blue book. I pretty much ignore the prices they have listed simply because they are not up date with the current market. The book can be of use to a degree for determining values for insurance purposes.
The restoration/refinished thing is a touchy subject. Generally speaking a fairly high condition all original finishes gun will bring more than a refinished gun. With that said; There's one heck of a lot of re-done guns that are well worth the money & IMO should bring more money than a similar gun with the finishes worn off or have alterations & defects to the wood. If you want proof of this, try getting a Parker refinished or restored by one of the top name go to Parker gunsmiths right now, they all have a back log of guy's wanting their guns restored/re-finished.
We Americans are really hung up on originality & are constantly chasing the unicorn high condition untouched, unused, pristine gun. There's many levels of collectors/gun lovers. There's the true collector which collects the best of the best & is constantly looking to find that next gem. Then there's the collector/shooter/hunter who has several guns in many forms of condition, some original, some refinished, but overall nice & in useable condition. Then there's the guys that simply want a Parker in good mechanical condition that intends on using it rather than worrying about the finishes on it.
My suggestion is first decide which category you fall in the closest and then watch the internet including gun broker to get a baseline on what the current market is for the type of gun your looking at. Then when you find the right gun you'll know if your comfortable with the asking price. Keep in mind that most of the advertised guns "especially with some dealers" are priced on the high side trying to find that one buyer who just has to have that gun.
IMO; Unless a gun is in extremely high condition or has a unique provenance you shouldn't be looking at it as an investment in the current market with the aging baby boomers. Buy the gun because you like it & it makes you happy keeping in mind that you may not get back what you paid for it down the road. Buy it, enjoy it & use it, life is short, live it up!!!
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