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If I lived in Europe, I would be looking at Camac or Salvi harps. Part of what you are paying with Lyon and Healey is probably shipping and duty. If you compare what the dollar is worth/inflation over time, Lyon and Healey harp prices have been the same for more than 100 years.
Go to http://www.harpcolumnmusic.com. You can download Bluegrass Country Medley by Louise Trotter. https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/artists/louise-trotter/bluegrass-country-medley/
A harp will easily fit in any van with plenty of room to spare. I had two Kia vans and liked them both. Trouble free. I bought a 2019 Pacifica because of the ease of stowing the seats. They pop into the floor in seconds. I got tired of lugging seats in and out of my Kia. Van seats do fold up toward the front with room for a harp lying flat.
Check this out. https://youtu.be/Ikd3-8KKmhs
Check out the Shure MV88. $149. Excellent sound quality. Also look at the MV88+ which has all the accessories for video recording. $100 more.
You will get better information joining the forScore User Group on Facebook. Check tutorials on YouTube as well. I have been using an iPad with forScore since 2013.
I live in Florida near the ocean. You will have the same issues with a pedal harp as with a lever harp. Using the dehumidifier is important. Air conditioning would be preferable but that does not work for you. A breathable fabric (natural fiber or cover that comes with the harp) will help.
I would contact Lyon Healy/Salvi in Chicago and ask for the prices new. At 20 years old and with inflation, the harp asking price would probably be around the original sales price. It will likely get down to which harp you like better in terms of sound and plucking. If all are equal, I would get the harp that was restrung and regulated more. You may want to have a harp guild tech inspect the harp or perhaps arrange a FaceTime look at the harp. I presume your harp teacher will also help you. I have owned Salvi concert grands for many years.
I applaud you for being self aware about your chords and playing. Do you take harp lessons? If you are being self taught, this would be the time to find a good harp instructor with lessons preferably in person. However, there are a lot of excellent teachers who teach online. You may also want to look into joining Harp Mastery http://www.harpmastery.com. There are online tutorials and there are live online instructors. Harp Column Academy also has an array of prerecorded tutorials that would be helpful.
I would suggest you check out http://www.harpcenter.com for the article about music apps. I would get a couple music apps and work on them to supplement lessons. They have apps for rhythm, note reading and other music needs. The sooner you have note reading etched in your brain, the quicker you can advance. It is like learning to add and subtract. You do it until it is automatic. Secondly, with your teacher make up a quick sound bite you can play so you have a piece ready when someone wants to hear your harp. My suggestion would be to play the final page of The Little Fountain. You can make really nice glissandos simply by pressing two strings on your lever harp.
Sounds like a good strategy on your part. Have your agents read the controversy surround children’s author Jason Tharp. He was prevented from reading his unicorn book to students at a scheduled school event because the book, with rainbows and unicorns, was questioned about appropriateness by a parent. The fall out from other parents was far worse than cancelling the event. Same principle applies to leaving out Golliwogs Cakewalk.
