“I didn’t want any memory of my old life.”

Around the time that Eric’s marriage of 18 years came to an end, he walked into his home in Santa Ana, California, to find all of his belongings packed in boxes. “It was an existential experience,” he says. “Things that were very precious to me, heirlooms that I wanted for my children — they were just completely disregarded.” As Eric began to sort through his stuff, he had a realization: “The more things you give up, the more you can let go of spending your life looking after them.” So each day, he would sell a few objects. “Today I sold some Boy Scout paraphernalia and a teapot.… I didn’t want any memory of my old life.”

Divorcees, like Eric, part with the physical remnants of their former relationships, selling them off piece by piece on Craigslist and divorce-themed garage sales. They sometimes offer brief histories, informing would-be customers why they’re letting go.