Everyone who owns one will pick the one they have. That is why they have it. I do think your price on LOTR is a bit high.

Whatever game of the 3 you get is desirable so as long as you get it at a decent price and don't put a bunch of mods into it expecting to get that money back you should be able to sell.

I vote for LOTR.

If you sell quick than NIB is a mistake... if resale value is key than take Taxman's wise advise and avoid adding all the mods to it because they are expensive and many people don't want to pay up for them (I personally avoid modded games unless the price is right because I take most mods off!)

If you want/like all 3 maybe I'll suggest going with the one that you get the best deal on first? I looked for a TSPP for awhile and finally found a GREAT deal on one that needed a lot of cleanup. I've enjoyed the project!

TSPP and LOTR will hold value. nib you will lose some cash.

Before I spent that kind of money I would play each of them a lot and try to figure out which one would get on my nerves least. One of those three gets on my nerves so bad I may never play it again. I won't say which one.

If I like a game enough it can stay for years at which point I no longer care how much I sell it for, I've gotten my money out of it.

I've had multiple TSPP and LOTR games through the years... TSPP got acquired last week again and is staying. No interest in another LOTR. I don't like the LOTR theme. LOTR is a good deep game, but TSPP is a much better overall package. For you, it depends on what kind of playfield you prefer:

LOTR - Great Flow.... but a blah fan layout
TSPP - Excellent layout, creative, great mini. But is a choppy game
ST - I don't think it's in the same league as the other two.

I think TSPP all day. But if you need flow or the love the theme, LOTR.

Lotr is epic and immersive. It's more of a one player game because of the long ball times. It is better than the others mentioned.

I have all three. Tough choice.

LOTR is probably the best of the three and the one I would recommend, but there are pluses to the others.

LOTR has the best code. The way the code is written really makes you feel like you are on a journey. The layout is fantastic and I love the ring shot. Some complain about long ball times, but you can make adjustments to increase the difficulty if you like. I've left mine on medium. I don't mind a longer game every now and again. Plus with LOTR, you really need a longer game to experience it all. Destroying the ring is a heart stopper the first time you do it. If you haven't done it, you will understand what I mean when you do . I love the game and have owned it for years. I bought HUO and that's what I would recommend. HUO tends to keep it's value.

If you are going for value, hard to beat TSPP. It's fully featured with fantastic code tied nicely to the show. It's got so much stuff on the playfields (!), I'm sure it would be priced as an LE if it were made today. Great game that to me is under valued. There is so much to love about this game. I love the mode where the flipper reverse. I love the fully functional mini-playfield with a shot to a third(1) level - the couch. I love how the shots related to the mode, for example Homers Day. First shot the pop bumpers that represent the power plant, then it's off to Moe's so shot the right ramp, after Moe's Homer likes to head home so you need to shot the garage, then up to the sofa to end Homer's day. Alot of thought went into the game and it really shows. Look for a HUO and grab it.

I love ST, but you mention not wanting to loss money. If you buy NIB, chances are you will loss money when it comes time to sell. If you decide ST, think HUO. I bought a HUO and got a ton of mods included. I figured I tire of the game in a year or so. Bought it just over a year ago and still love it. In fact, I actually play it more than the others. The flow is super smooth. One complaint I have read is the modes essentially have you chasing colours. I can see that point, but there is so much more going on...you can combo shots for increased points, earn bronze, silver, and gold medals in tier 1 modes which earns points in bonus and points in mini wizard mode, there are a few multiballs you can start during a mode, there is the opportunity to double points by shooting the warp ramp, one of the Vengeance modes awards 10% of your score, and I'm sure there is more I've forgetting. It's an absolute blast to play especially with a shaker motor attached.

I really enjoy all three games and don't think you will go wrong with any.

Good luck!

When it comes down to it Star Trek is just more fun.

Lotr and tspp are both unexciting slogs that are ok now and again but terrible home games.

I think this is the absolutely wrong mentality in regards to pinball. I won't go into a whole spiel here but this is just the wrong way to approach the situation.

I also have all three and you can't really go wrong with any of them.

I sold TSPP a few years back and realized it was a mistake and just purchased another one, but prob my personal favorite out of those 3 is LOTR for theme and depth of game. I purchased my LOTR with the plan to sell it again in a few months time after the fun had worn off. That was 5 years ago!

I have 2 of the three mentioned , lord of the rings is king but can get very full on , after you have a big game you don't want to look at it for a week or so, which might be cool because the other games u have in your collection getaway an fish tales are quick one more game sort of games, where lord of the is definatly not, it's a long slog, so it will work well with the other games you have, an it is a privilege to just walk in to your games room an just turn it on an play on stand bye... Tspp is cool to, but personally think lord of the rings is just pure class..

I'll be damned. I have these three sitting side by side. I consider LOTR and TSPP to be the absolute pinnacle of WhiteStar glory. They are legendary machines and only get really separated by your desire for the theme. I could not rate one over the other, but would put them together at the top of a very big heap of other machines. They can be work to get through though. So depends on if you like that or not.
ST is buried in that heap somewhere. It's fun, for sure, but I could let it go easily. Good luck with your decision. How wrong can you really be in the end, whatever you choose?

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Since you are concerned with retaining value I would stray away from Stern Trek.

I have all three also and LOTR is my favorite. TSPP is fantastic game with an okay theme to me and if it was redone as Beavis & Butthead it could be my favorite game of all time. Stern Trek is also good though many do not like how the modes feel similar but there still is a lot of depth to the game code.

Owned LOTR for eight years. Owned ST Pro for just under two. Played a bunch of TSPP,

What style of play do you prefer? Do you like to compete with others?

ST is fast and furious with tons of modes and great lights and music. LOTR is super deep with epic code but absolutely sucks to play with others. If I were to buy one back it would be ST Pro.

Can't really go wrong with any of them my only suggestion is if you do grab an ST get an HUO one not a NIB one.

If you can't afford to lose a couple of hundred on a pinball machine, you might want to rethink this hobby. Not trying to be discouraging, but this hobby is much more expensive and risky than it was even 5 years ago. You used to be able to go to the auctions and get "A" or "B" list machines for a steal. You cleaned and fixed them up, played them for a while, and they appreciated in value. The whole used pinball industry was subsidized by an arcade industry that bought NIB machines, routed them for a few years, then dumped them cheap. They ate the depreciation, and you got an inexpensive machine as a result. This mechanism and subsidy system died with video arcades, and the auctions today are dead. That subsidy of the market brought in a lot of 30-50 yr olds who loved pinball and found it affordable when they reached the point in life that they had the disposable income. Those of us who originally got in with undervalued machines have ridden this wave of newfound popularity, but the rising prices are affecting the ability for new blood to enter the hobby. Lots of great NIB machines have been flooding the market for several years now, and eventually this supply is going to take a toll on prices throughout the industry. Some great machines will remain in demand so they rise above the trend to depreciate, but remakes and vault edition machines are being made to tap that demand too (think MMR, IM, SM and there will be more). There is risk here, that's all I am trying to say. Just keep your eyes open, and the more you spend the more you could lose.

In your position, I would go aggressively after good deals that are priced below market value. That means finding the right seller, not necessarily the right "game". For instance, if you can find a cheap LAH, it is a fun game that doesn't have a lot of room to depreciate. It just doesn't have the same risk. I think T2, JP, JM, ST, and JD are all fun starter games that you can find good deals on. Also, if the game is dirty, you can do a shop job yourself and hopefully sell it for a few mucks more than you paid.

Hope it all works out for you, it is a great hobby, but expensive.

As a single pin owner, LOTR was the first pin I owned. I loved everything about it, but after awhile its linearity go to me. It's not a game where you can rack up a good scope just by hitting things over and over again outside of a mode. So I sold it, luckily for more than I paid for it.

I've never owned a TSPP, but I've played it hundreds of times. I love the theme, the toys, and the humor, but it, too seems very mode-driven. And there's more stop and go on it than I'd like. I'd love to own one someday, but I'm not sure how long it would last in my collection.

I've also played hundreds of games of Stern Star Trek. It's not the most beautiful game, but to me its a game where you can just go ahead and hit things over and over while not being hung up on modes. The Vengeance center shot is just a perfect AFM/SS-style "center toy" target. For pure fun, I would personally go for a Star Trek, although I'd rather get a used Premium, since the light show really makes a difference.

Cool, that makes sense. I would think TSPP and LOTR will do pretty good at holding a steady value if you maintain them properly. In all honesty, I don't think you can go very wrong with any of these games.

Second vote for the premium, will hold it's value better than a pro too. Besides the full playfield RGB, also has the laser star field projection.

I have ST Premium and LOTR, both get lots of attention, makes a great 2 pin collection in my opinion. I probably haven't played TSPP enough because the theme's not as appealing.

Where are you located, I have a HUO TSPP for sale in Florida, 4023 plays, not one tiny nick or scuff on cabinet, plug and play, all original, perfect.
Bob