Regarding the cash/PayPal debate, note that banks are required to file a report with the government for cash transactions of more than $10,000. Don’t even think about breaking it up into smaller amounts to avoid the report (a federal crime called structuring) unless you fancy getting investment advice from Bernie Madoff in person. If a bank thinks a transaction is suspicious, they are required to file a report with the government at smaller transaction amounts. I once got the hairy eyeball from a bank teller for withdrawing $4,000 in cash to buy a game, so who knows?

None of this probably matters for most people—buying pinball machines is (no longer!) a crime after all and the reports, even if filed, shouldn’t cause you problems if you’re not a criminal. Though if your job requires a thorough background check including financial history, you may find yourself explaining to an investigator at some point that all that cash was used for pinball. Outside this forum, that may be a tough sell. PayPal or a similar service could prevent these potential hassles.