Validity of personal checks as payment

I am fairly new to ebay. I have purchased one item using paypal, the
transaction was smooth, and I recieved the item in a timely manner.
Recently I bid on a camera, won it, and then realized the seller did
not accept paypal. I know it is my fault for not thoroughly looking
over the auction, but I am now faced with a bit of a dilemma. The
seller will only accept money order or personal check. We have traded a
few emails about the possibility of paying with paypal, and she refuses
to accept it as a form of payment. I told her that I was uncomfortable
paying with her preferred methods, considering she has no feedback. She
emailed me back and told me that she had recently seperated from her
husband and gave me the name of her old account that she shared with
him. Listed item location for the account was North Carolina, while her
address is in Pennysylvania. The account had 100% positive feedback,
but redirecting me to another account that may or may not be hers
seemed fishy. I googled her and found her photography website that said
she had indeed moved from NC to PA. Now, after that long winded
backgound info from the last couple of days, my question: Is a personal
check a safe way for a BUYER to pay for items on ebay? I'm concerned
about my account # and routing # being stolen, and the amount of
protection offered for an item that I don't recieve. Any answers or
similar experience would be much appreciated.
Thanks

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