Is that the Mfg's Suggested Retail or the store's discounted price?
Even in the stores, they have the price posted on the tag but you should never pay that price. Negotiate with them and if you have cash the price will come down. The Fender Modern Tele I picked up a while back had a list price on the website but I called the order line and negotiated with them suggesting that I could go to their competitors just as easily as I could buy it from them. If they wanted the sale, I told them to make me a deal and I'll buy it from you right now. I ended up with a discount and free shipping and a price that I was happy to pay for the guitar and the hard shell case.
Buying second had is often the best way to purchase.
One other thing to consider when looking at the prices of the new gear. Most of the time, the (real) prices of the new gear stays about the same as the old gear. The one thing that does change, and not for the good, is the buying power of the US dollar. As the Fed pumps more money into our economy to keep it moving, that added money is diluting the value of every dollar.....it's causing inflation of the dollar.... it takes more of them to buy something of constant value..... and so prices tend to move upward. Of course, that really doesn't help the starving cash strapped musicians one bit but ... just so you know the main reason behind the rising prices of guitars.
I bought a brand new Gibson "The Paul" back in the late 70's for $550 off the rack of a local music store. I "talked them down" a bit from the posted price, but that was still a very expensive buy at the time. Gas was just around a dollar a gallon if I recall correctly. Now, that same guitar, used in good condition is selling for $1200.... just about double, on ebay..... and gas costs me $3.60 a gallon......
Inflation.....