As a prospective new guy looking for his first pin, theme is more important to me than game quality. So I don't mind looking at 90s themes I'd like, stuff like DE Simpsons, Ninja Turtles, Mario Gottlieb, Space Jam, 90s movies, etc. Sure, I know the post 2000 and more modern stuff is light years ahead in terms of technology and fun... but that's for dedicated and experienced players. I see a 90s machine as a good entry level one that will be fine for some nostalgia and a pinball novice. Then down the road I can worry about upgrading to a game with more features if it's getting played enough.

Also, from the money side, you may have crossover collectors. I've been collecting console video games for a decade and got into arcades about a year ago. $2k-$2.5k isn't too bad, nice arcades get into that range and you can sell other collectibles to fund that fairly easily. But in the $4k-$5k range you're out of impulse spending and you really assess if you need / want it. At least that's my line of thinking anyway.