I'll agree I'm must less likely to want to swap out a truly old machine, but I don't consider a 201 to be in that group. In fact, with most of the Singer stuff after 1900, it's so common that I don't worry about it much at all.
I do like to keep things period appropriate. I don't care for putting an electric machine into a treadle base, but I've seen that done many times.
And then there is the question of reconditioned machines. There is also historical value there - seeing a treadle machine that was converted to electric and put into a covered case during WW2.
So Steve, having wrote what you did, does that mean you'd have no interest in the treadle cabinet my Singer 12 came in - unless the machine came with it?
Sometimes you get a wonderful base with a less than wonderful machine, and vice versa. I have several really nice machines in really nice cabinets (with my Singers) but very few of them came together.