Decluttering emotional baggage

I want to burn my boyfriend’s couch. Perhaps burning is excessive. Attack it with gardening sheers, maybe. Scissors, even. And the throw pillows that his old flame mailed to him, so that he could keep them with the couch? Battery acid seems about right.

Unfortunately for the couch, this furniture is a carryover from my boyfriend’s romantic legacy. He came into our relationship with a history all his own, and like all of us, he brought his own baggage. And a loveseat.

When it comes to souvenirs from past relationships, I’m guilty, too. I’ve hung on to a few trinkets — a glass teapot, a deck of cards — functional items that, like the couch, lack sentimental heft. Still, they carry the whiff of emotional clutter, the kind of lingering attachment that bogs down a new relationship.

For many people, letting go of past romantic gifts — especially jewelry — can be a sticking point after a break-up. Jill Testa, creator of the Wedding Ring Coffin, has devised one solution. Developed after Ms. Testa’s 20-year marriage ended, the mahogany wood box measures just over 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. The miniature coffin is lined with black velvet and comes with a metal plaque that can be customized or engraved with one of the company’s suggested eulogies: “I do . . .NOT!” or “Six feet isn’t deep enough.” It even comes in ivory.

Talk about burying the past.

For those who hate to entomb a fine piece of jewelry, the people at exboyfriendjewelry. com have created another option. The site offers classified ads for gifts from past romantic partners, but the cathartic blurbs about the origins of the items are the real finds. Exbashing is highly encouraged.

The “Rings” page offers a selection of wedding bands and engagement rings, even a pink sapphire promise ring.

“Promise ring?” the seller writes. “What do they promise? Maybe they should call it, ‘I’m too cheap to buy an engagement ring and I’m not really sure if I love you enough and/or want to really spend the rest of my life with you so I’ll just get you this ring and that might buy me enough time to (A) eventually break your heart or (B) actually commit.’”

The site has earrings, too. With a pair of one-carat diamond studs: “They are really VERY beautiful. Too bad I got them from a psycho-freak JERK.”

And bracelets. “I got this bracelet from my boyfriend when he told me the reason he couldn’t commit was because he was married!!!” This, on a pink sapphire and diamond wristlet set in white gold.

The site even has handbags, like a replica Louis Vuitton that “came from a lying jerk who was as fake as this bag!” and cameras, like a Nikon D60. “He cheated and bought me a camera... really should have been jewelry.”

It’s a depressing read, all those tales of heart

break and lying and cheating. But many of the ads end with, “Married to a wonderful person now,” as if to confirm that letting go of postbreak up junk is the final step to moving on.

Now, if I can just get rid of that couch. 