Interesting analogy as there seems to be a trend among prodommes of being into baking. :-)

Just to be devil's advocate here.....I can think of two advantages(at least for me) playing with a non pro can have over a pro.

The first is the luxury of time. One of the biggest drawbacks to pro sessions for me is the inability (or at least the large cost) of doing a truly extended session. My longest pro session ever was about 5-6 hours while my longest with a private play partner was more like 18.

The second is the likelihood of far more intimate activities taking place in a private vs pro session (at least in North America)

Of course this presupposes a skilled amateur and an established relationship. Both of which I have been lucky enough to experience

That's missing the point I was trying to make, but yes some of us do enjoy baking or cooking. A form of Dominating the kitchen, perhaps?

And that's the key: finding a skilled partner and being granted access to them.

When you're lifestyle, you're more likely to treat play like dating and be selective.

So, you found someone who wanted to do sexy things with you for a long time. Congratulations. Unfortunately, many people will not have that opportunity. Enter professionals.

Exactly. Absolutely no question that a quality pro session is far more easily obtainable than the same quality session with an an amateur.

No, they don't in my experience. My only experience with an amateur involved interrupting a session to teach her how to do a two-column tie on my legs without cutting off circulation.