Pros and Cons of Hiring an Upholsterer

A couple years ago I purchased a side chair for my living room that I absolutely loved. I was most excited to have found the chair on Craig's List with a very wallet-friendly price tag. It's been almost two years and that side chair has become permanent fixture underneath my husband. His daily plopping has caused the colorful detailing to fade and the cream background to turn a dingy gray color. The structure of the chair is still great, so I'm now contemplating having it reupholstered. Since I got such a great break on the price when I first purchased it, I'm not as reluctant to spend the money to have it redone. I'm going back and forth on whether or not reupholstering this chair is worth it. So far here's my pro and cons list:

Pros:

There are endless customization options when re-upholstering.

Custom upholstery is typically better quality than mass produced pieces.

Having a one-of-a-kind item is much nicer than purchasing something that someone else may have.

Many upholsterers will pick up and deliver pieces for free, saving money in the end.

The most expensive elements of reupholstering are fabric and labor. Having the option to purchase my own fabric can help save a great deal.

Cons:

Upholsterers can be very pricey.

Sending a chair off to be redone means a temporary void in my living room decor.

There is always a chance that what is envisioned is not what I will get in the end.

The busiest times of year for upholsterers are before and after Christmas, followed by springtime. I will have to wait until the summer before checking this project off of my to-do list.

What has your experience been. Have you hired an upholsterer? Was it a better investment that just buying a new item?