Unload "Ex" Jewelry, Tales of Woe at ExBoyfriendJewelry.com

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Megahn Perry wondered what she could do with the engagement ring she’d gotten from an ex. She tried a pawn shop and a consignment shop, and didn’t care for either.

Over dinner with her stepmother Marie, Perry recalls saying, "I want a safe, reliable place to sell my ex-boyfriend jewelry."

Thus was born ExBoyfriendJewelry.com. Perry and stepmom Marie Perry are cofounders of the site, where the ladies can go to unload the unwanted remnants of relationships past.

Listing at the site is free, but there is a catch. Women who want to get rid of their ex-jewelry must also share a short story of the item’s history.

"I got into Nirvana and Ani DiFranco," wrote one woman selling an emerald ring. "And it was clear that an ocean of Drakkar Noir lay between us."

Perry emphasizes that the website’s intention is to offer catharsis with a sense of humor, not to bash the exes. She says she just wanted women to be able to get something out of a bad experience.

"You went through this hell, through that relationship to get this piece of jewelry, so you deserve something for it," said Perry to reporters at The New York Times.

The site also offers funny tidbits, like a poll in which viewers decide what kind of ex-boyfriend they had, from "a total waste of oxygen" (the most popular choice), to the kinder "a great guy but it just wasn’t right."

Rings and necklaces are the most common item found at the site, but categories also exist for watches, bracelets, other jewelry and one for "gifts that should have been jewelry."

People love the novelty and the humor of the site. Marie Perry understands the appeal, telling reporters, "If you just want to move stuff out of your life, then yes, go to eBay. But this is more than that. It’s about what’s attached to it."

So many people tried to visit the site after it received national attention that it crashed. Perry says that they are moving to another server that can handle the higher traffic. A note at the currently shut down site tells visitors, "We’re working to get more of you online…we never should have hired our ex-boyfriend to do our IT…whatever that is."

The Perrys say they currently don’t charge fees for the postings, but may decide to take a cut at some point. For now, they’re just enjoying the attention their idea has gotten.

"I think women in particular are pretty sentimental about their jewelry," said Megahn to reporters. "So, there's something to getting the story off your chest, be it good or bad. And letting it off into the world."