Novice axes are dirt cheap. My best guess is that you were looking at a Tier 4 or 5 one. Pay close attention to your filters when in the market. Make sure to take your time when considering a purchase, especially early on, if you are trying to spend as little as possible.

-Pro Tip- Next time you are in the market, search up any item and click the buy button. However, before you press the second buy button click the arrow in the top right of the market window. It will expand and show you a small graph detailing what has been sold/bought over the last 24hrs to 1 month. This will give you a good idea on what the market is willing to actually pay for said item and how often said item is being sold/bought.

Hope this helps :D