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How does the item lifecycle work? (Unlisted, Listed, Sold)

How does the item lifecycle work? (Unlisted, Listed, Sold)

Written by Shane Jordan

Every inventory item in Flippd follows a lifecycle from acquisition to sale. Understanding this flow helps you track items accurately, keep your reports clean, and spot bottlenecks in your reselling process.

The Item Lifecycle

``

Acquire Item

|

v

+-----------+

| UNLISTED | (Default status for new items)

+-----------+

|

| List on a platform

v

+-----------+

| LISTED | (Active on one or more selling platforms)

+-----------+

|

| Record a sale

v

+-----------+

| SOLD | (Sale complete, profit calculated)

+-----------+

``

Items move forward through these three statuses as you list and sell them. The flow also works in reverse: the ⋮ (three dots) menu on the item detail screen offers Mark as Unlisted (take a Listed item off Listed and back to Unlisted) and Mark as Unsold (return a Sold item to Listed and remove the sale).

The Five Statuses

Unlisted

The starting point. You've acquired the item but haven't posted it for sale anywhere yet. This is where items live after you add them to inventory.

What gets set: Title, Cost of Good, Category, Source, Date Acquired, Photos

Listed

The item is actively posted on one or more selling platforms. Flippd tracks which platforms and when it was listed.

What gets set: Listing Platform(s), Date Listed, Listing Price

An item can be listed on multiple platforms simultaneously. Each platform listing is tracked independently with its own listing date and status.

Sold

The sale is complete. Flippd records the final sale details and calculates your profit automatically.

What gets set: Sold Platform, Date Sold, Gross Sale Price, Shipping Cost, Platform Fees

Profit is calculated automatically from your cost and sale details and flows into your reports. You can still edit a sold item's details if you need to correct something -- open the item, change any field, and tap Save.

Death Pile

Not a manual status -- this is an automatic flag. Items that have been in your inventory for 90 or more days without being sold are flagged as Death Pile. These are aging items that need attention: price them lower, list them on more platforms, or consider donating.

Death pile percentage is calculated as: (items 90+ days old / total active inventory) x 100

Scratch Pile

Items no longer for sale -- whether damaged, kept for personal use, lost, donated, or removed for any other reason. Scratching an item removes it from active inventory while preserving the cost record for reporting and tax purposes.

Date Rules

Dates enforce the natural order of the lifecycle:

Date

Rules

Date Acquired

Can be up to 20 years in the past, up to today. This is when you bought or sourced the item.

Date Listed

Must be on or after Date Acquired, and on or before today. You can't list something before you own it.

Date Sold

Must be on or after Date Acquired, and on or before today. You can't sell something before you own it.

These rules are enforced in the app -- the date pickers won't let you select invalid dates.

What You Can and Can't Change

Status

What's Editable

What's Hidden

Unlisted

All item details, photos, dates

Listing platforms hidden, sold fields hidden

Listed

Item details, listing platforms, prices

Sold fields hidden

Sold

All item details, photos, dates, and sale fields (price, fees, shipping, date sold)

Nothing

Items remain fully editable at every status. If you need to reverse a sale entirely (for a return or a sale recorded by mistake), use Mark as Unsold in the ⋮ menu instead -- that returns the item to Listed and removes the sale from your reports. To stop selling an item without deleting it, use Mark as Unlisted -- it goes back to Unlisted with all its details intact.

Multi-Platform Listings

A single item can be listed on multiple platforms at the same time (cross-listing). Each platform listing tracks:

  • Which platform (eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc.)

  • When it was listed

  • Listing URL (if available)

  • Platform-specific status

When the item sells, you select which single platform the sale came from.

What the Inventory List Shows at Each Status

The price on each inventory list row follows the lifecycle too:

  • Unlisted -- shows your Cost of Good (what you paid)

  • Listed -- shows cost → list price (what you paid and what you're asking)

  • Sold -- shows the sale price, plus profit and ROI

If you want your selling price visible in the list, list the item -- the row updates as the item moves through the lifecycle.

How This Affects Reports

  • Unlisted items count toward your total inventory value (based on Cost of Good)

  • Listed items show your potential revenue (based on listing prices)

  • Sold items generate profit data that flows into daily, monthly, and YTD reports

  • Death Pile items appear in the Death Pile percentage and Inventory Aging reports

Good to Know

  • You can skip the Listed status and go directly from Unlisted to Sold (for items you sell before formally listing)

  • Bulk edit can change the status of multiple items at once

  • Status filter chips on the Inventory screen show real-time counts for each status

  • Tapping a status count on the Home dashboard filters your inventory to that status

item lifecycle and statuses

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