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When I looked into importing a pedal harp to the UK it didn’t come out as attractive as it seemed at first glance – there are a good range of options in the UK.
I suggest you look at the harp which you like, now. Rather than trying to establish the hypothetical market for reselling it in a decade’s time and in Asia or maybe the UK. Though as a general rule, buying a well chosen second hand harp is a good way to get a good resale return. But that limits your choice to what is available. I see Pilgrim now have a stockist in Beijing.
I find the Sakura I tried very different from Aoyama’s cheaper models and sadly I liked the Sakura much more – harp makers often do that to me and make the ones I like more expensive up until the price is because of gilding and carving.
The important thing is to choose a harp you like – there are lots of good choices and you have a realistic budget but different people have different preferences.
I would ask when it was last played and where it has been sitting. When you tune it the chances are that more strings will break – the owners need to accept this is what happens with old strings and not your fault. You won’t be able to hear it at its best with old strings – do take your own tuning key as it would be a pain to discover they have misplaced theirs.
I would say it is a bit like buying a car that has been sitting in a garage – you can’t take it for a proper test drive, it will definitely need a full service, but may have less wear than something that has been in use throughout.
Another UK stockist who might be worth contacting is http://www.creightonscollection.co.uk/
Did the soundboard have round disks set in above the holes like this? https://www.istockphoto.com/gb/photo/closeup-of-pedal-harp-column-strings-and-soundboard-gm529126496-93230921
For the normal graded exams (rather than the diplomas) the examiners in the UK are generalists, not specialists, and I am pretty sure this is the same in other countries too. You don’t get a harp (or violin, or bassoon) examiner, you get a good musician. A know a few orchestral conductors who examine, for instance.
I find the financial view of harps is rather different in the UK than that Biagio presents. I don’t know of anyone importing most of the instruments mentioned and the Ravenna comes in at £2200 new – slightly more than the Camac Telenn and the same as for instance a Pilgrim Skylark or Silver Spear’s Camlad. Teifi’s Siff Saff is a bit less.
I wouldn’t start with a consideration of whether the harp has legs – using a harp stand or other support is pretty common.
Do the Transpennine or Northumberland Clarsach society branches meet conveniently near you? They might help with exposure to different types of harps, and worth asking if they have any hire instruments available to get your fingers back in practice for trying instruments out and take the pressure off you to buy soon rather than after trying a good variety.
Both the shops you mention are generalists. I would advise you to also look at specialist harp stores for the same harps – I really value their expert knowledge and personal service.
If you want to try lots of harps then arranging a trip to a harp festival where many of the makers are present is a great way.
Also more musical than social but this Saturday: https://wales.camac-harps.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/10/edinburgh-camac-harp-day-2.pdf
Have you looked into the clarsach society? https://www.clarsachsociety.co.uk/
I advise composers to work out and write in all the pedal changes necessary. Harpists will probably think they are in the wrong place and move them, but putting them in is your basic check that you aren’t writing for a harpist with 4 feet, or two left feet.
Mechanical dampers of various sorts have been invented – Zabaleta famously used one which you can see at the top of the bass strings here https://www.cdandlp.com/en/nicanor-zabaleta/recital/lp/r116147914/ There were also much earlier versions, still to be found on some historic harps. But they don’t have the flexibility of using fingers and hands to do the damping.
Not all composers are hard to convince, I think it was Vaughan Williams who on being questioned about a passage responded ‘You are a musician, Miss Goossens, please just play what I should have written.’
In my experience other people very seldom comment on what my first teacher called the noble art of editing. As Carl expressed it, you are playing what they want to hear. I benefited hugely from playing 2nd harp a lot to a more experienced friend who passed on tips of the trade after the more formal tuition of youth orchestra.
I see you are considering used harps, and think that can be a very good choice. As your playing develops you will learn much more about what you like and want in a harp, and your first harp may well not be your last. Different places have different second hand markets, but in my experience harps loose value fastest as they pass from new to second hand, and if well treated mostly maintain value as they pass from second to third or more hand. There are lots of great harp models which you could learn well on.
