SA's garand is $1348/78. It's pretty nice. But If I were going spend that much, I'd spend little more and get the M-1A. $1350 is a hell of a lot to spend for an M1 thumb.
There used to be a civilian marksmanship program that let you score a garand for $50, but I think they finally ran out.
I think your best bet is a serious perusal of shotgun news (
http://www.shotgunnews.com/). I don't think you will be able to find a new semi-auto rifle in that price range, but you might find a new import bolt action.
Also, try a local gun dealer. A lot of gun shops take consignments and you might get lucky.