For an item modification system, are mesh components, or separate actors more appropriate?

I want to make an item customization system in which certain aspects of items can be swapped out causing visual changes and stat changes. I have the stat changes covered, but am wondering if it would be more appropriate to have skeletal/static mesh components as part of the items which are set when an item is modified to reflect to the new modification, or if the modifications should be their own separate actors which are then attached to the items themselves? Does anyone have a system like this that would recommend one way or the other?

I am starting to think having separate actors for the modifications make sense since not all items will have modifications by default therefore having premade mesh components would be a bit of a waste since they frequently won’t relevant.

you can dynamically add static mesh components too. i’d only keep them as actors if they have their own logic. but really both have merit