ZOUNDS

King Tut, a great hosta. Gets golder later in the year.

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Golden Scepter, one of the Tiara family, comes up gold and stays that way.
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Maui Buttercups
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I'm also a fan of yellow/gold, however, what I have learned is that many of this tone start out yellow/gold and shift to green OR they start out green and shift to yellow/gold.
That said, the BEST yellow for early color is Sea Fire. Can't beat the color! But right now, for me, it's green!

Although not a solid gold or yellow, Kabitan would be an excellent choice. It grows in anything from full sun to full shade, looks good all season, and brightens up any spot it is in. It meets the medium to small size requirement, topping out at about 8-10 inches, and is widely available at a reasonable price. It also clumps up very quickly, but does not become invasive.

The other suggestions here are all nice varieties, although Zounds is probably going to be too large at maturity. Other small to medium yellows and golds I have grown and would recommend include Golden Spider, Golden Spades, Gold Edger, Gold Drop, Lakeside Waterfall, Little Razor, Gold Drop, Golden Sulphur, and O'Harra. All of these should be reasonably priced, and all will grow under a wide range of conditions and look good all season. There are also many hostas that are bright yellow in the spring, but turn green or chartreuse later in the summer, such as Feather Boa and Lemon Lime.

Birchwood Parky's Gold...for sure!

Daybreak or Dawn's Early Light
Pam

I forgot to mention an oldie, but goodie - Bright Glow. It is green early in the summer, but then turns a bright gold. Here it is, just beginning to brighten up.
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Don't overlook the oldie but goodie August Moon. See earlier posting.

Queenie

I love Zounds and Sea Fire... but they aren't small-medium in size. My Zounds is about 4 1/2 feet in diameter and my Sea Fire requires moving as it had a leap year this year and swallowed four hostas around it... easily 40 inches in diameter.

Maui Buttercups has some character... but it will be more expensive than some of the oldies-and-goodies.

As mentioned, Birchwood Parky's Gold is a good fit and should be available for a few bucks for a mature division... also seconding the suggestions for Gold Drop, Gold Edger...

I planted O'Harra in my mini collection, but it is inching up towards small and has very rapidly formed a dense clump, so for that smaller leafed tight clump look it is a good choice.

Again, not one of the inexpensive oldies, but Tortilla Chip has been a slow grower for me, but comes from the fragrant family.

And Fire Island isn't a "filler" - but its bright yellow in the spring and its red petioles make it a pretty fine specimen in the right size range...

These seem to hold their color well and more gold than chartreuse.

Daybreak and Dick Ward new last year and see to very good growers. Daybreak may be bigger that medium.
Hottsy Tottsy new this year and a little leaf dessication earlier this summer.
Dick Ward and Maui Buttercups are getting the most sun, while Little Sunspot and Golden Prayers get filtered sun thru oaks.
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Paul

Gold edger....small, yellow gold green, grows like a weed is fairly shallow rooted, sow hen you want to move it out it's easy....and I can't tell it from Parky's Birchwood gold unless I read the tag.
August moon is also very nice, but larger and slower growing....although it's still a very good grower.
Linda C

Daybreak is definitely a large, with very large leaves (8x12)... very nice, dramatic specimen... and Day's End, the sport with a green center, grows even faster. These two together are getting a lot of attention in my garden, even when side by side with a Paradigm clump going almost 5 feet in diamter and an Elatior just behind also approaching mature status.

Birchwood Parky's Gold is probably my best vote for one that fits this bill (small, consistently gold, inexpensive, good grower). I started out with one eye about 5 years ago & now have 6 mature clumps and have given some away & traded with it as well. It retains its color & sits in a nice little clump about a foot across.

I might even be able to send you a few eyes if you'd like.

One never mentioned but a real show stopper Moon Lily. Wonderful medium size compact mound with good substance and slug resistant.

You can't go wrong with Dawn's Early Light or Maui Buttercups either.

Thank you all so much for all the wonderful suggestions! I'm going to get on-line today and look at the Hosta Library to narrow down my choice(s). Most of them were already on my list, but it's nice to have feedback from those who really grow them! I think I'm leaning toward Birchwood Parky's Gold or Gold Edger and Golden Scepter.

I'd say get rid of all that stuff you've got in there now and put in some big gold hostas. Then add blue fillers.

Vanilla Cream is a small/medium which is very dependable. And Lemon Lime is a real eye-popper and quickly makes small clumps which can be divided over and over. Mary

Katrina Jo is another very nice, and economical yellow hosta. I disliked this hosta when I first purchased them, but they are in their second year, and I am just loving them.

Which two did you pick from your earlier post? We could recommend some that would look good with those as well-and I noticed some of the ones you listed before were mentioned above. That would stretch your $.

OK, I decided to place my Bridgewood order this afternoon, and I got Golden Scepter and Gold Edger for my yellows/golds. One of these was a one eye purchase, and these seemed to be the least expensive (really 2 for the price of 1).
I also got El Nino and Touch of Class from my wish list. I decided to hold off on Maui Buttercups since I had just gotten Rainforest Sunrise this summer.

Cindy, you might want to consider Good as Good for future plantings. . an oldie but a goodie. It gets brighter as the year goes on and brassy gold in the sun. It does very good in the sun.