HI Marty
each side has his positive and negative side
the discussion is endless
why exist trade of bonsai in a different stage of growth ?
for those who appreciate to start at a defined point ..
some people have time ahead of them to grow from seedlings some others
wants to enjoy the sight of a bonsai made by someone else .. or give
tehir personal print to something taht nature made herself like in
yamadori
if you wish a Van Gogh you can paint it yourself
or buy a printed copy of the original
or buy the original
each of them will bring you a different kind of satisfaction
the same for bonsai no absolute truth



Marty Haber wrote:

Dear Scooter,
Your post started OK when you said that it might take 10 years to
produce a good bonsai; but then you drifted a bit when you implied that
it's better to buy a good bonsai to start with and save the 10 years of
effort. I learned, over a period of 45 years in bonsai, that the beauty
in bonsai is in the process, not the result. Watching your tree develop
over 10 years is far more important than enjoying one which someone else
has created.