Wow, there is a lot to 'unpack' here... First, thank you OP for sharing this great example. I specifically collect unfluted S&W and the 3" is just a beauty.
a) The factory did ship guns with both Hogue (i.e, such as the monogrips) and pachmayr ('Goodyear's, jokingly
). In one example, take the Model 25 / 625
which shipped with either, depending on the variant.
b) To paraphrase the OP's question (I believe, it was OP), in a 'perfect world': Yes, there should be a premium value assigned to these. If 2,500 production run (max), this is certainly a lot less than the 100,000+ of a normal run 29-2 for example.
b.1) Interestingly, I am seeing run-of-the-mill S&W's for
$800-$900...nothing fancy...not just one or two sellers...I
think they are being overly optimistic, but they can charge
whatever they want...
c) Last comment, and politely, the notion that K frame grips can or should be used or are a suitable alternative is nonsense, in general. They will not fit properly; you may be able to make them go on, but they would require additional fitting and/or not properly 'seat' when being fired; would be noticeable.
This is a mix of fact and some opinion, but I hope it helped clear things up for someone who may not know???