System 80 Gottlieb pins are not the direction you want to take for , ahem...reliability.
Devil's Dare is fun..but prone to issues.
A never more than $1,500 title...only way it fetches more is if it has a Pascal CPU, perfect playfield, and an aftermarket power supply.

Increase you budget to $2,000, and your entire world of options opens up.
You kind of missed the boat regarding the days of available $1,000 complete, reliable pins with good replay value, unless you get real lucky and beat all us other seagulls to the punch.

Rare post where many of the points are solid and pretty accurate.
When many Pinsiders all agree on something, take it too the bank as nearly factual, because it never happens

Sorcerer sounds like it would be a good title to start for you (op).
Can often be found between $1,500 and $1,800, is built well and holds up, and is right in the middle of old/new as far as play styles.