I'd get a beater classic Stern, Bally, or Williams game from the late 70's/early 80's. I find they play great when properly tuned up. Then again, I'm willing to deal with worn pf's, broken plastics etc because for me it's all about getting the game playing fast and mean. I think that generation of games was the most creative and challenging (and for me, most enjoyable too) while maintaining relatively simple rule sets/playfield layouts. I love many games that came before and after them, but i think that generation had the most consistent selection of great games. I'm thinking Meteor, Stars, Nine Ball, Seawitch, Flight 2000, Harlem Globetrotters, Playboy, Mata Hari, Eight Ball, Xenon, Paragon, Firepower, Black Knight, Gorgar, Sorcerer, etc. There's plenty I'm missing too. Some of these titles are gonna be hard to find for $1k, i suppose. Some of them are gonna be hard to find at all! Tells you something about how well-loved these games are...

Any chance you're planning on going to the Allentown show in May? I imagine $1k could get you something fun.

Awesome, Pinfest is definitely worth the trip! In fact, take a look at the Pinfest 2018 Buy/Sell/Trade thread, plenty of good deals to be had! https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinfest-2018-buy-sell-trade

Congrats!