The OP has a valid question. Look at it from the standpoint from a hypothetical NIB Pinball Holding Fund. Would you (we) buy 5 top edition machines of the next 5 Pinball releases from Stern / JJP / DP / etc? Do you wish you had bought 5 of each top edition for the last 5 NIB Pinball releases?
Agree there's some drama in the OP but jeesh it's just an opportunity to respond with something dramaless.
I think it's worth a dramaless thread when the ~$9k choices right now are TWD PE, ST PE, TBL (lul had an uninitiated refund today), WoZ 75th, and Hobbit Smaug Golden (pre ordered today). I mean thank Jeebus there's a forum like this with large participation. But totally worth getting clinical/intellecutal about it when it's $9k pre order cost for machines with clauses that include "features to be announced" and "subject to change"! But then that's why they're fully refundable...
2nd post on Pinside.