Mass damper atop the rear shocks: WTH?

[stigmatasaurus]

I'm halfway into replacing shocks and struts. Since I want to keep the original ride quality selection ability, and because NO PLACE was selling rear shocks for this car, I bought the sets another user here (Batchman) had saved, bless him. The replacement rear shocks don't have the same black, 5-inch-long tubes atop them as the originals. These things stick through the body into the trunk space, and for some reason, a heavy wire clip fastens around them, which must be removed before you can get the shock out. Well, of course it's hidden behind the trim panel, which is a damn chore to pull out of the way to get to this unnecessary clip.
Now that I have one shock in, I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to take the old 'mass dampers' off the old shocks and attach them to the new.