It sounds to me like this guy is expecting a premium for the rifle in this current market. The problem is that except for demand, I don't see a reason for the higher price. While it is semi-auto, the Garand doesn't have any evil features that put it in danger of being banned.
As far as lapping the barrel goes, it would be a waste of time in my opinion. It is a beautiful old military rifle, unbedded in a wood stock, with a great big gas system hanging off the barrel. Accuracy expectations should be around 2 MOA with good ammo.