and as a lot more others have... best-bat-have-ever-had
As Fast Eddie would pronounce it
An- Ex-pen-sive Mis-Take
To add fuel/retardant to this fire, I have an interesting case study regarding a Salix at my club. Our wicket keeper has a Salix (I don't remember which one but he paid a lot for it a few years back). He doesn't play much anymore as he has a dodgy back and is in his 50's, but he has two sons. One son is 25, the other 22. Both of them are accomplished cricketers having played youth county set ups until their mid teens. Last season, they both used the same Salix. One of them scored 800 odd runs last year at 40odd and swears by the bat, the other one can't hit the ball off the square and claims the same bat is a crock of (No Swearing Please).
I have never used a Salix so I can't pass judgement, but it has always struck me that the value of something is however much a person is will to pay for it. I'm sure if you asked these two brothers how much they would be willing to pay for that same bat the figure they announce would vary wildly.