Hi Judi, the things you mentioned are not a big concern. Pads get worn on any sax that is played after a while and then you simply get them replaced. This is the most common job for a repairman and is not expensive.
A student model from Yamaha or Selmer (Bundy) would be the best bets, but there are many others. When starting out just getting a sax that is in good working order is all you need to do. You will practice on your embouchure, get a good mouthpiece and experiment with several reeds… this is where you can make some big strides in tone production, rather than the brand of sax you get.
I often see even used models of the brands I suggested in Amazon and have an article on that here:
https://howtoplaysaxophone.org/used-saxophones
Or you can look locally where you live. Feel free to follow up on anything you find and I'll be happy to give my opinion.
Good Luck
Johnny
