Good friend is stroppy that I've asked for my things back, WWYD? Any advice?

[DelapidatedScrotum]

Not really AIBU, more of a WWYD.

One of my best friends, who is a brilliant guy, is crap at giving things back after lending them to him.

Back in February he asked if he could borrow thing A for a couple of weeks, I duly lent it, it's now September and no mention of it coming back. Thing A is not valuable but that's besides the point. He has a history of doing this. I've asked for thing A back and he is moaning that I have thing B of his and generally being a bit stroppy.

The difference is I didn't borrow thing B from him, I didn't ask for it but it is here. He asked me to repair thing B for him (thing B is far more expensive than thing A) and I did repair it and told him it was ready a YEAR ago. He came by to collect thing B (we don't live far apart) and decided he wanted to leave thing B here until I'd "tested" it further. Thing B is fully repaired and ready to go, as it has been for a very long time and he is aware of this.

He's always been a nightmare to get things back from (he has a history of doing this but I don't think it's deliberate, it just doesn't seem to register that he should really return stuff and I shouldn't have to chase him)

Any advice on the best way to handle this? I don't want to cause a rift, he's probably my oldest (as in longest time) mate but he's utterly shit at giving things back.

Yeah just stop lending him stuff.

After many many years of lending people stuff and often having to beg for it back, (and sometimes not getting it!) I decided a few years ago to not lend ANYthing to ANYONE unless I flat out didn't care about losing it/not getting it back.

I have lent to my aunts, my cousins, my neighbours, my colleagues, and my friends, and have been royally fucked off many times at having to constantly ask ask ask for my fucking bastard stuff back!

I am pissed off with feeling like a heel, because I want my own shit back!!!

So now, I only lend stuff if I am not bothered if I get it back or not. Don't mind the odd dvd or cd as it's easily replaceable, but one friend (who I knew at school and recently met up with again several years back,) wanted to borrow my wedding album to show her family, and she was most perplexed and a little miffed when I said no.

'But I will bring it back Friday...' she said.

'No, sorry' I said. 'I couldn't let anyone lend it, it's irreplaceable.'

My other friend wouldn't even lend her daughter her CARDIGAN the other week for her afternoon in her office at work when she met her at lunch. She said she would rather give her a fiver to get a jumper from Primark, as this cardigan is her No 1 fave piece of clothing, it cost £40, she wears it 4 or 5 days a week, and if her daughter has it, she will take WEEKS to return it. Also, she has 5-10 mates a week around her flat, and it may go AWOL or get damaged. So she said no, and her daughter had to stay cold! (Tho she did offer her a fiver for a cheap primark jumper to be fair!!!)

Also, I will not lend anyone MONEY unless it's an amount I can comfortably afford to lose. Not even very very close family. Especially not them cunts!

I've known this guy for so long I don't want to cause aforementioned rift.

But he doesn't mind upsetting you when he knows you want your item back... It's his behaviour causing the rift, not yours.