What I've Learned...

I have learned that it is important to get things back from exes...immediately after breaking up. Like STAT. Time now. You might think its not a big deal or its too much of a hassle to have to deal with them and their attitude (and yours) at that current moment when the feelings of being broken up are still fresh, but do it.

If you don't this is what might happen to you:
You know that senior thesis you worked sooooo hard on in undergrad. The one you spent over a year doing research on, traveling all over the east coast to do research on in archives. The one you defended doctorate style to your two professors. The one that earned you an A.  The one that you lent to your significant other while he was in Iraq because he said he wanted to read it.  The bound and print-shop copy that you had of your senior thesis...

Yea, he threw it out after you broke up. 

And only had the balls to tell you that when you asked for it back a few months later, because you thought it would be best if you let tensions cool between the two of you before you asked for him to mail you your things back.

Interestingly enough he didn't throw away the clothes that you bought him for when he returned from Iraq. Nope, Facebook pictures prove that those he still wears quite frequently. Including on Christmas. Funny, I thought he hated me. Why would he wear anything that I ever touched? Probably should have burned that stuff with lighter fluid.

But your senior thesis, something [I would think] a normal person might see and be like, "this isn't mine, she probably would want this back. I know she worked extremely hard on it" despite all the anger and hatred they have for you might have set it aside or sent it back.

For the record, if the tables had been turned I would have sent his senior thesis back, no matter how much I hated him.  Somewhere along the line I learned empathy. 

So get your stuff back ASAP. Because that ladder, target, DVDs, etc. might not have a long shelf life after your relationship expires.  It's the principle of getting your belongings back...not gifts. Just what is yours.