My question is: how does one buy an actual "bonsai" and get started in this wonderful world of Bonsai ...
I live in Southern California (Orange County) and I've been to a few garden shops and nurseries where I've seen mallsai (maybe?) and then I've seen Dwarf tree specimens that I was told would make good "Bonsai" ...
You don't know the difference between mallsai and bonsai - and this makes this a very difficult question.
It would require several pages of text to explain what mallsai is, what a real bonsai looks like, what the difference is between bonsai starter kits and real bonsai (starter) trees... let me try to keep it short.
Fortunately, there is a lot that you can find on this website, like
what is bonsai
. A summary:
"Bonsai is an art with as ultimate goal to create a miniaturized but realistic representation of a tree in nature"
Mallsai is something different, it is not an art, but as I would call it:
"A commercial approach to sell plants that look like, but are not, bonsai, with as ultimate goal to get a higher price"
Bonsai is art, every Bonsai tree is a unique piece. Mallsai are far from unique and cannot be considered art. There are several forms of mallsai, like Ficus Ginseng (the type with the ugly fat roots, the roots mimicking a thick trunk and the visibly chopped off top sprouting a few branches), trees you find in garden shops (not bonsai-shops), often chinese elms, carmona, serissa, that are sold as indoor trees, almost always with an S-shaped trunk, and trees sold in several webshops - calling themselves bonsai shops - that sell trees that essentially are not much more then cuttings in small pots, often with a stone, pebbles or an asian figurine like a fisherman as decoration, to make them look like more then that what they really are: sticks in pots.
All the above 'bonsai' have one thing in common: they are mass products.
Example:
This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.
This is not bonsai, and For USD 70,00 I think this is a very much overprized too.
Unfortunately, they are advertised and sold in such quantities, that it seems most people that start with bonsai, have the wrong image of what a real bonsai looks like, and pay this price.
Note: the trees mentioned above all are suitable for bonsai. It's not the type of tree that decides whether something is a bonsai or not, but the methods used to grow and train it and the ultimate result. Trying to make a bonsai out of these mallsai is rather useless - you can buy better starter material for that price.
Note 2: Real bonsai nurseries have to make a living too - often they will sell cheaper trees that are mass produced and could be considered mallsai - though it is possible that, as bonsai nurseries know how to care for them, they may be healthier then those from a non-bonsai nursery.
Back to your question:
"How does one buy an actual "bonsai" and get started in this wonderful world of Bonsai"
That are actually two questions:
- How does one buy an actual bonsai.
That depends on a couple of things. What's your budget?
A good tree could cost about the same as a second-hand car. A tree that is ready for a prestigous exhibition however could cost as much as a house. Or more, like this
1 million dollar bonsai
Of course you can buy bonsai for less than that, but you will get a tree that is younger, less developed and less refined.
However, once bought, you will have a problem - you need to keep it healthy, you will need to repot and prune it - and you will need to know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and when to do it.
The second part of your question:
- How do I get started in this wonderful world of Bonsai ...
Learn. Study. Learn more. Look at examples. Learn what is bonsai and what is not. Decide what tree suits you and your circumstances best. Decide whether you want a deciduous tree or an evergreen, outdoor tree or indoor (or as I prefer to say: find out why an indoor tree probably is a bad idea). Determine your budget - you will not only buy a tree, you will also need to buy tools. Ask advice. Visit bonsai-nurseries - even better, if possible, visit a bonsai exhibition. Find bonsai clubs in your area, become a member.
Once you know what bonsai is and what it takes: start looking for your first tree.
Dwarf tree specimens that I was told would make good "Bonsai" ...
Not really. They make good dwarf trees. Dwarf trees are not bonsai. They often are suitable for bonsai, they will require the same care and training as other bonsai. As they grow slowly, it may even take longer to create a convincing miniature tree from a dwarf species.
, it makes my post sound silly 
. 