Lawrence Akutagawa wrote:

My $0.02 ...

Get yourself a common maple seedling. One in a one gallon can/pot will do.
Perhaps a plain ordinary green maple that is much less expensive. Then
locate someone/someplace with the fancy maple you want and ask them for some
prunings whenever that tree gets pruned...hopefully during winter or very
early spring. Take the prunings and graft them onto your common maple about
3 - 6 inches above the ground. Care for it as you would any other plant and
voila...the maple you want! Of course it takes time - another clear case of
"time vs. money".


Are there are decent online tutorials on grafting?

--
Jean B.