I have to disagree with some of what you wrote there... The premise that the CMP pistol you get "was there" is IMHO speculative to start with ... I've seen a number with USGI replacement and even commercial replacement slides. The parts have been mixmastered unknown numbers of times over the past 70+ years. Not to be too cynical, but you might end up with a pistol where the frame might have "been there," the rest of the parts = slide, barrel, trigger, etc... may well have come out of storage. That's why I'm questioning this premium value that flippers and buyers are putting on many of these CMP 1911s.
If I was a WW2 reenactor, I'd go with a Cimarron, Armscorp or RIA and just refinish it. I just do not beleive in taking out historical items "into the field" for reenacting. (I know a guy who used his 1840s musket for CW reenactments - and of course busted the stock. My comment on that is unprintable, at least for THR). A complete mixmaster CMP 1911? Sure, probably OK for a reenactor. Not a whole lot of history there, particularly if the slide is a replacement. A CMP 1911 that is mostly probably matching? Gotta think about that one ...
My father, uncles and grandfather managed to bring home a number of items from their service in WW1, WW2, Korea, etc... These would never, ever go into a re-enactment. These are priceless (to me), because of the family history - they have provenance, and really truly have "been there" and "done that". These will be cared for and passed down to the next generation, with the stories of what my kids ancestors did.
IMHO, these CMP 1911s have an uncertain history, aside from them having been rearsenaled, refinished (perhaps multiple times), and stored by Uncle Sam untill turned over to CMP. That does adds a certain provenance, but its not like being able to connect the pistol with a specific conflict or even branch of service. That's the difference between a $1050 CMP pistol and an $2000+ WW2 1911.
Maybe I'm just talking myself out of looking at this particular CMP 1911, but the seller is acting like he's got Audie Murphy's personal sidearm, and I'm looking at it like a gun assembled by Uncle Sugar from parts. Which means we're not going to find a middle way on pricing (he already curtly rebuffed my $1400 offer, citing his idea that these are selling for $2500 on GB all day long).
But, this thread is still a good discussion about the perceived market value of these CMP 1911s. I think CMP was pretty spot on the pricing of these 1911s from a rational market perspective. They are mixmasters, and were priced accordingly. The gun market these days, however, seems to be far from rational, and sellers/buyers beleive what they want to beleive, regardless of facts and logic.
Rant mode off.
I didn't even try to get one, I'm just sayin.
The only reason I see for trying to score one of these 1911s from CMP is if I were a WWII reinactor. Then it would be cool to have a pistol that was there. Too bad my dad didn't bring one home with him.