>  Adam should have received a message
> that the email account wasn't active, and queried me.

NO, YOU CAN SEND MONEY VIA PAYPAL TO A NON-ACCOUNT
E-MAIL, BUT THEY HAVE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT TO GET IT.

>
 if the payment went to my new address, where's PayPals
> direct-to-me confirmation, despite not having an account?

They use the senders e-mail address, not paypals!
ALWAYS on notification of money sent.

> I'm touchy on this, a friend shipped a mint vintage Judson
> supercharger for a bug into US, and got stiffed badly. Once
> over the border it was gone.

There has been fraud on paypal.  That's why they have
all of those warnings on the notification e-mail.