bc.jacobs:
The acers that T&M sell are often very small at about 12-18 inches.
>>snipped out<<
I'm not saying it is a bad deal, just don't expect a normal sized acer.
Agreed, these Acers are small as you describe but will grow to 3 metres in height and about the same spread after about 10 years or so.
They are really beautiful trees and are well worth the effort and the space. Mind you, you should have no difficulty keeping it down in size if you keep it in a pot, as long as you keep increasing the pot size each year and stop when the Acer is the size you want it. Oh and don't let them dry out (that's the big challenge with putting them in a pot).
Hope that's of help.