There's a great book on the history of a few Strad's that discussed how the UK company Hill & Sons hyped Strads as part of their own marketing, which led to their ascendancy over Guarneri, Amati, etc.
Look, bottom line: a few violins are top tier. Within that, individuals pick their preference. Pricing Strads at a super-premium is no different than pricing a '57 Les Paul Goldtop at X and a '59 Les Paul sunburst at 3x.
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An old Gibson and a couple of old Martins; a couple of homebrew Tele's
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