A guitar player friend is one of the managers at local guitar center in Atlanta. What he has always told me is they offer 60% of what they think an item will sell for on used gear, not necessarily retail. They just look a "sold" auctions on ebay for the most part and then offer 60% of the lowest selling price. Not terribly scientific, but it assumes the employee knows what their looking at from the start.
I'd be willing to be the serial is a 2000's one that starts with 00, and the person didn't know anything beyond a serial number. Pretty sad for you "Vintage Department" to not know the difference.
....Come to think of it it could have been 60% Off what they expect to get, I can always ask him next time I see him.