Personally, I'd go with CFTBL or Shadow. I am dying to get a CFTBL, but people are asking crazy prices here.

Indy 500 if you can get it at 2 k that's a good price under rated game that's climing in value and ratings

This is absurd. It took me a year to find a shadow and I live in Ohio where there are tons of pins. People hold onto the title because it is fantastic.

For a deal get CFTBL, for best gameplay get Shadow, for best overall package and pure fun get RS.

I didn't find it particularly fun, but that's not the reason I really got rid of it so quickly. There were a combination of factors.

1) I've grown tired of the serious nature of some of William's pins. By that I mean, some titles took themselves too seriously, and this one was right in that wheelhouse. (Others being Demolition Man, Johnny Mnemonic, etc).
2) Personally, I've become less enamored with mode based pins. The process of marching through all the modes on the way to the goal feels enough like work to me, that I really don't want to play a second game after finishing a really good game. Just the idea of having to do it again puts me off to it. I never have this issue with Sys11 games. I'll play 20 games in a row.
3) I felt this game was more cheap than it was hard, as in the drains weren't often earned.
4) I really wanted a Creature, and I figured I could find the right deal to trade my Shadow for one... which I did.

I have seen 3 in the past 2 months within 3 hours of me. All 3 of varying condition and 2 of those had been purchased by the current sellers within the past 6 months.

All this and I am not even looking. Pretty easy title to find IME.

Personally I would get The Shadow - it's the only DMD I have left and will never leave my collection. I never get tired of it.

I have tried hard to like CFTBL but just can't get into it...and I've really tried! I don't like the way the lower playfield is obscured by ramps - it all just seems too cluttered. I had the chance years ago to buy CFTBL ( a local distro had two in the warehouse). I went back a week later to buy one and they had both gone...fortunately a Shadow had just come in and I snagged that instead and never looked back CFTBL is the game I'm glad I didn't buy.

One more data point from me...

I've owned 40 machines. Shadow will stay with me forever.

I agree regarding modes. Once you get a couple modes deeps, then the game ends, why take the time to start another game and work back to where you were? I get it..

Pins like BSD, where there aren't modes is what I like. Just raw high score. Same with Congo.

If decent condition Creatures (or even Shadows, for that matter) are going for $1800-$2000 in Argentina, you'd think someone would get a container together and flip them in LA for a quick profit!

If OP's local market is anything like the US though, I'd say buy them all at these prices, play them at your leisure, and sell the ones you don't want to cover the cost of the one you keep.

No kidding.....I didn't even play it once, now that's fast!

Played an I500 this weekend at papa. Cool pin. Love the use of the lighted targets. Really neat.

Exactamundo. This game is on the same trajectory as BSD now that the faster, harder gameplay of some recent Stern titles has gained favor.

I would had picked Indy 500 if it had made the list.
So, I have to say I'll take the Shadow from the poll.

Allow me to retort.

I bought a Shadow from a fellow Pinsider who had it for a very short period of time. I kept it for...a very short period of time (2 months) and sold it to my brother, who kept it for 5-6 months. It was then sold to another Pinsider who had it for about a year, and he has since sold it to another Pinsider who has had it for a few months now. It even has your alt translite on it.

So this particular Shadow has had 5 owners in a period of about a year and a half to 2 years.

And like Whysnow, I don't feel that The Shadow is a pin that doesn't come up for sale fairly regularly.

The reality is everyone likes different games. And the longevity of a game in one persons collection is not going to be the same as another. Until you have a game in your home and start putting miles on it, you just are not going to know. I originally picked shadow, but he should take CFTBL. Play it and clean it up, If you like it you scored an amazing deal. If you don't like it you will be able to sell it for a profit most likely.

Get Shadow, or RS. Both are easy to resell and Shadow has been hard to find for a couple years now. Then join the Shadow Club.

Indy500 has slight nod over Shadow from me based on the theme. I prefer less serious themes and out of the group, RS, CFTBL and I500 all have humor in their themes vs. TS which is a bit more serious. Only 2,249 I500s produced, so they are more difficult to find.
Same software designer Mike Boon has similar combo shot in I500 & TS that is challenging and rewarding if you get good at it. Both have good dmd animations and sounds, hopefully they will get color dmds some day!