I'd second (or third) the Whitewater recommendation. Very fun game with widespread appeal. Easy to understand yet hard to master.

I agree with several others on the MET pro. It's a great game that has been made even better with the new code update. Sure to not disappoint on this one.

I think JP was a good idea. Great game and the new code is going to make it that much better. You should be able to pick one up well under 4k.

SM and WH20, great pins regardless of price

I would steer clear of the Creech for now. Its a great game (I have one) but too tough for your main pin. Id go with a players Twilight Zone or TAF. TZ still keeps my interest after owning for 14 years. You could sell/trade in a heartbeat if you didnt like it. WH2O is just OK in my book, good for a change of pace, but too much going on, could use a rule update IMO. Im not a fan of sterns at all. Just put the cash in a shoebox, check CL every 5 minutes for newly listed pins and be ready to go at a moments notice. Good luck with your search.
-Riles

I recently sold a WH20 and bought a Metallica pro. In no way do I regret that transfer. I enjoyed Whitewater but it felt pretty one-dimensional. I was bored with it pretty quickly. Met on the other hand, you can approach from multiple angles and it has plenty of depth. And boy, does it whip me, but It gives me that "one more" feeling every time I play it. It makes me a better player while enjoying every second of the game.

A few also mentioned LOTR. That is another classic in your price range that I can't recommend enough. I am not in the honeymoon phase with that pin anymore but I will never sell it. Just awesome pinball.

I have to agree with Lord of the Rings... A great theme and a good game for a quick spin anytime or a long deep game if you prefer. Lots of different and awesome multiballs... Ring toy and Balrog toy... So, so much. Not sure if you can find a decent one for $4000 but if you can, go for it. Simpsons is great too. It's really a toss up depending on what theme you like better - humour or fantasy. Also you can always get out of it what you put in (typically)... Prices on those are not going down. As said, Metallica Pro you can't go wrong either... And that new pinball smell. Ahhhhhh.... So nice.

Glad you did not get the Creech. It has a great theme IMO but the gameplay might leave you looking for more after a short while especially with your limited collection. Then hard to sell as it does not have that wide of an appeal. Whatever you do BUY SOMETHING quick as prices are going up every day

Haha just kidding ... Take your time there are always more great pins coming for those who wait. The anticipation is sometimes as exciting as loading that pin up the stairs and through the snow all by yourself... Good luck!

to bad about CFTBL . It is a classic. I have never played STREN ST pro but that would be something you should research , I am . Some other Ideas Data East Tommy Pinball wizard. Or maybe ST:TNG alltime classic. How about Data east STAR WARS.

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For a first pin I can't recommend STTNG enough. Its a deep pin with a fantastic art package and great theme integration. I personally think its probably one of Ritchie's best. I bought it as my first and has been the only one for 2 years now. I have yet to get bored with it and my kids love it.

Now throw all this out the window if you can't stand the theme. If you like Star Trek this pin will go a long way in a small collection.

FYI, a LOT of what has been recommended to you may be considered "super deep." LOTR, Simpsons, Metallica (at least eventually), Stern Star Trek, even Twilight Zone. I would suggest that you and your wife play these before buying. What tends to happen on threads like this is, regardless of what you ask for, people are going to recommend the games they personally like. It's just human nature I guess, but I didn't want you to plunk down $5K on a game and find out it's not what you were looking for.

Can't recommend the above scenario enough. I finally played a tron recently and it was not my style of game. You don't know until you try them. There are a couple of sys 11 games that, if money wasn't a factor, I would take over several of the "top 20" pins any day!

With $4k, I would be looking for ST:TNG. WH2O is a good runner-up. Or go with a newer Stern pro. You should be able to find a Transformers, X-Men, Avengers, POTC, etc for that. Save a few more bucks up (or with patience you might get lucky and find a HUO for $4k) and go Metallica or Star Trek.

All of these games have depth, but they aren't "too deep" like LOTR or TSPP could be considered. There is plenty of fun to be had without drilling too far down into the rules. Pick your favorite theme and go from there.

I might go with a Mousin' Around or an Eight Ball Deluxe. Either can be had in good condition for half of that sum and are both equally easy to sell/trade if you get tired of them. Both of them also have rules that are easy enough for non-pinheads to enjoy but hard enough that it'll take you a good long while to master them.

Oddly enough, I'd also look at a Revenge from Mars. It's not as classic as Attack From Mars, but the playfield is similar, the build quality top notch and the play silky-smooth if you find a decent example. I wouldn't say it's in STTNG or STPro's league, but it's also about half the price.

So you're kind of asking us whether you should ask out the blonde, brunette or redhead. They all have their merits, but it's a really personal and subjective decision. Good luck and my condolences on your new addiction.

I think on mr pinball someone had revenge from mars and swe1 both playfields and roms for 3500

Avengers Blue in about a yr

I know you stated you don't want a deep game, but one thing to consider. Just because a game is deep, doesn't mean it's not a blast to play for newer players.

In my opinion, LOTR is a great example of this. I think it guides you through the various aspects of the game so even beginners quickly get an understanding of what to do.

It has satisfying shots (love hitting the ring) and there are plenty of objectives along the way that give a great deal of satisfaction, even if you don't make it to the end wizard mode (heck, who has?).

Anyway, food for thought.

I can't recommend enough that you actually play any machine you are considering before buying. You may run across some Pin that wasn't even on your top list and find out that you really like it. Or you may play a pin such as STTNG that many people rave about and find out it isn't your cup of tea. You never know...

I don't think you need to spend that much going from the two pins you currently have. You probably would be very happy at less than 3k with something like The Shadow in my opinion.

IJ is a pin I have always wanted to own and think one that plays good with no major issues at 4500 would be easy enough to turn around and unload at very close to what you paid for it down the road.

I think the main thing is you don't overpay, not saying you need to steal one either. For the last 2 years or so, it seems like the downside is pretty limited. We've been fortunate that pins don't seem to depreciate recently like other higher dollar items, like a car or my GFs Louis Vuitton purse that she had to have and thought she could unload it for close to what she paid for it, lol.

IJ for 5200 might not be bad, but honestly everything better be in pretty damn good shape for that price, I could live with the fade since that is correctable if it really bothered someone. Patience is really hard in this hobby, but you seem to be doing a pretty good job at it so far.

If I were you, I would go to the Allentown show coming up, only a couple hours away I assume. I think there will be quite a few good pins for sale at very reasonable prices. Not to mention you could try a bunch of different titles.