In my circles we say that guns that sold for $250-$300 20-30 years ago (and it seemed that a hefty percentage of all decent used guns fell into that price range) now go for 3-4 times that. $1K is the new average norm. But Holy Schmoley $1600 for a Savage 170! (You wouldn't have to work hard to convince me there was either chicanery involved or there were a couple drunken keyboard commandos bidding who had way more money than good sense.) It would have to have had provenance that Jack O'Connor used it to shoot his last armadillo or some such "royal" connection, even then I would've said "get outta here with that thing!"
What were once working man's guns have generally been priced right out of the hands of the working man. Some of these prices lately are flat out eye watering... Marlins, 94 Win, Rem 788 etc.
I ain't even that old yet, and I remember seeing a lot of pefectly servicable, if a bit field worn stuff floating in pawn shops in my college days for ~$100-200, sometimes under a bill if they were ratty. I bought a brand spankin new Rem 7600 on sale from Gander Mtn for $379 in 2002 or so, maybe 03. I remember being torn between it and a BPR, but went with the Rem because it was a bit cheaper. The BPRs were $450, 500, somwhere in there.
