After A Break-Up, What Do You Do With Gifts/Items You Received?

I've always donated all of that stuff to Goodwill. One of my exes left a very expensive jacket at my home, he never returned my calls to retrieve it, so I donated it to a mens shelter in the winter-that made me feel real good. I don't like objects with bad memories lying around in my home, only because all of my previous relationships were really bad. I think if one of them ended and we were friends, I'd keep it, but that's never been the case.

When my husband and I started dating a friend of his pointed out that he had a lot of stuff from exes and old flames. His friend told him that it was time to "kill" his ex-girlfriends. They went into his backyard and burnt everything ... letters, pictures, clothing ... The next morning he brought me over to the pile and told me that he had killed his exes! I was confused at first and then he and his friends explained what they had done. When I went back to my apartment I did the same. Those old relationships are gone and it really brought a lot of freedome for us when we got married.

Of course you keep the gifts. They are gifts, not loans, and you are not expected to give gifts back.

I keep it. I mean, they're just items. I'm not going to get rid of perfectly good items because the relationship ended badly. And so what if people think that keeping those around means I'm still in love with them, or I can't let go. They're just things. I don't see what the big deal is.

What I did when we split was kept all the things that were mine before we got together, and that my family gave me as gifts. All of his original stuff and things that his family gave him he took with him. The only exception was the sofa as he had some in his new place and he didn't want to leave me and the kids with no where to sit!

i return part of the things to my x and the other remaining stuff i give away a chapter of life with this person has ended and it ain't going to help me being nostalgic every time i look at what of his presents, usually i leave a picture of him in my photo album that i usually open once in a year or 2..and by that time the heart can stand the pain and look at the things differently if i do decide to keep a thing or 2 from the relationship that i have and i am now in a new one and my new partner is uncomfortable with this item i usually let my new partner deal with his problem and overcome it..because as i see it a realtionship is based on trust and he should know that i love him and with him and the difference between my feelings to the item and him:) it usually is o.k. don't you agree?

I have kept everything I have ever recieved during a relationship. If it was given as a gift, it is mine forever. Letters and pictures, stuff of that sort, I usually burned. It was a way to symbolically do away with frustration and any leftover feelings.

I usually keep most of them. I dont return or throw them away because for me, it was given during the good times. I keep them in a box and hide it in the attic :)

I give the gifts back! I did have to think about it once! I really wanted to keep the diamond earrings! :( But, I felt bad keeping such expensive gifts. i wouldn't feel comfortable wearing these items around a new boyfriend? Would you? I do some people that keep the gifts... But sometime the other person doesn't want them back. What do you do? I just drop them off when they aren't there! LOL!

it depends... if he wants it back for example my photo... a friend texted me to do this and i did it.. it was actually a text message not a message like an advice.. so my ex wanted his photo back and i said ok then after two days i wen to his office with this medium-sized box and i gave it to him... ive let go off the box up high so it would make an impact and i said.. these are the photos of my ex BOYS... i can't remember cause i have a lot of boys you so would you mind if you just search for your photo and jsut return it to me...??? thanks. hahahahahaha i know it would left an impression of a playgirl but at least you got SWEET revenge. BUUWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I ended a 5 years relationship with a guy, within that happy moments with him, we exchange gifts.,like wallet, watches, necklace and even appliances. It's a big deal to me, when we broke up..it hurts because for the past years we've shared, it ended with tears and hatred. Now, i decided to return some things he gave to me..but I left the watch and the wallet. Nowadays..i keep on using it..but not reminiscing the story behind the thing. My husband knew it that it came from my ex-boyfriend and he is not jealous or uncomfortable with it. It's only a thing not the feelings left.

When my (ex-)boyfriend and I broke up, I threw everything away so that it will not remind me any trace of him in my life.. Hehe!

If it was something I would want to keep, I wouldn't enter the new relationship saying "Oh this is from my old relationship" i'd just be like "Oh yeah, thats nice huh? great christmas gift from a good friend" or something like that. Giving stuff back to me is sooo white trash, if your going to make a statement , burn it.

i still kept the things i got from my prtner.even the letters & photos i did not throw it away.sometimes you'll feel happy reading all those letters you received.i did think of returning the things back but my partner said i do not have to.so i just kept it.i am not sure do my partner still kept the things i gave.

I give it to my ex

I would keep them... I mean they are still yours right... Just like any of your personal belongings. it's like saying your moving away from your parents for 4 years to go to university. your still going to keep that stuff... or at least that's the way i'd say or even put it.

Well when I met my last boyfriend, who is my hubby now of 9 years, I had some pictures and some letters from an ex. I actually ended up throwing them away because why keep them if you're never gonna be with that person again? I know some people though just can't let go because they have some sentimental value or memories but when you're with someone else especially when you know you will probably be with them for a long time in the future, even marrying them, you don't need the material things anymore. You will always have memories of course, but I guess cause I'm married now, those things don't mean anything to me anymore, I treasure the things and memories I have with the person I'm with now.

sorry to say i havent yet experience having a boyfriend but as it was my friends say they burn it or throw it anywhere.

Depends on the relationship and what the stuff is.. I normally gave it back or threw it away.

I normally keep them unless they have huge significance to our relationship as a whole. My ex bought me a really beautiful silver pendant of a Siberian Husky after I finished my Siberian's championship and I still have it although I never wear it anymore. I debated getting rid of it after we broke up, but I thought about it and figured it had more significance to me than to us.