I have never had a gun engraved and do not seek to collect them, however, I do have nine engraved 357s spanning the whole spectrum from prewar to internal lock. From this I have a pretty good feel for engraving and know what I like. The S&W factory will do fantastic engraving, but there are many other engravers whose work you should consider. Before you buy look at different styles and discover what you like. I like complex deep engraving, with larger design elements swirling over and under each other, as opposed to shallow lines and tiny elements that look to me like a carpet. I like gold inlay (adds big money), especially animals. Know that it also takes time, months, maybe years depending on your selection and how busy the engraver is. Check out Firearms Engravers Guild of America at Firearms Engravers Guild of America Home Page. To bad they had their annual show a couple weeks ago, for $20.00 you could have seen all kinds of great work. You might consider getting yourself a copy of Artistry in Arms, The Guns of Smith & Wesson by Roy Jinks, and/or Steel Canvas by R.L. Wilson.