Giving stuff back after breakup

[pooriver]

I got dumped recently, ExP has moved on very quickly and has a new GF (whatever).

Our spotify account was linked until I delinked it last week and I can see the tunes he has been playing for her. One has quite a lot of significance to our relationship and is closely related to a painting he gave me about 4 years ago. It makes me very very sad to see this painting every day so I have now taken it down... I don't want to get rid of the painting myself, I think it's worth a few hundred pounds. Can I give it back to him?

What other gifts can I give back to stop them hanging around my flat and making me sad? Engagement ring? Other personal items that he had for years and then gave to me as a sign of closeness?

I don't want to be petulant but I need to protect myself and move on. I also don't want to bin anything as he may want these things back but not want to ask.

Comms aren't good although we didn't split on bad terms, I don't want to be a crazy ex or a doormat...

Thank you

Just put it in black bags and in the loft so you can't see it

Don't give them back just yet especially if comms aren't good. Just get them out of your eyesight and away and you'll soon forget them

Thanks wig, your name made me laugh.

I have no space but I guess I could put it under my bed. Comms are like single word answers to questions etc, there's no point asking if he wants stuff back...

I would box it up and store it. Then when things are less raw you can think more about what you want to do with it.

Sell it and do something fun.

@OhioOhioOhio I've thought about doing that but it's the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever bought me. I'd just feel bad. Which I guess is telling me I need to wait a bit until it doesn't mean as much to me.
as per @Sunnysidegold advice!!

I would sell the engagement ring and painting as he was the one that dumped you. Use the money on something that's going to bring you joy. Also he cannot ask for stuff back that was gifted to you so I'd sell the lot

Don't give them back to him. Don't give him the satisfaction! I did that and gave my ex some jewellery and clothes back. he blatantly gave them to his new girlfriend who knew they were mine, but bizarrely then wore them like it was some badge of honour to be given an ex girlfriends jewellery.

I have quite a few things that my ex gave me hanging around my house including a massive table and few electronic gadgets , a lap top etc as well as some jewellery and clothes. I didn't give them back.

The Things that I have around my house (because they are just that) cease to have any meaning after a while. They lose the association of being His and are just mine. It's fine. If you love the painting, don't give it away yet. Wait until the pain of the split fades - because it will.

My ex loved to send photos made up into books, prints, cards etc. I find one of these every so often and it's fine. He left notes everywhere too and I find them. It's a cliché, but time heals.

If you simply can't bear to have the stuff in the house, get rid of them, but don't give them to him.

I'm sorry you're going through this - it will get easier.

@LettyFisher thank you. I'm so sad but I do understand that I did stuff wrong and that his new gf is probably, objectively more suitable for many reasons.

I think I need to hide the stuff and revisit it. I move house in June so we will see what it feels like then.