I've been selling on eBay since 2001 long before Paypal existed.
When personal cheques and money orders were the norm, I shipped on receipt, deposited the paper payment and waited for it to clear.
Sometimes the cheque bounced.
Then Western Union had a system whereby they would notify the seller that the paper MO was on its way. I would ship on that notification. About a week later the paper MO would arrive, I would deposit it and wait for it to clear.
It was not unusual to ship eight or ten days before the payment arrived, never mind cleared. (Note I am in Canada and both the mail and the bank can take longer than in the US, although Canadian MOs cleared instantly)
Then the scammers figured out how to play the system .
Frankly, the up to 21 day hold is a lot faster and more certain than the money order days.
And again, if you use Delivery Confirmation you will get your money faster than 21 days. If you encourage your buyer to leave feedback immediately (perhaps by leaving it yourself?) you will get your money faster than 21 days. If the item is moving slowly in the mail and doesn't arrive until Day 30 , you will already have your money for a week, when the buyer gets his widget.
