Yes, $600 bucks might seem steep for a recurve. But think of it this way: that recurve will still be shooting long after that new state of the art compound has been long forgotten. There are folks out there that are still shooting recurves and longbows that were made in the 50's and 60's. How many can say that about a compound only ten or twenty years old? With a little TLC a recurve or longbow will last a lifetime - and more.
That said, for around the same $600 price you can have a nice custom bow made for you.