The Complete Guide to CS:GO Skins
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What are CSGO skins? Depends on who you ask. Some people do not care about CSGO skins at all. For others, they are just a fun little addition to the game that is a welcome change in the monotony that can get to you after hundreds of hours of the same maps, loadouts, and strategies. There are also those that live and breathe CSGO skins – they are either collectors or veteran traders. For them, CSGO skins are a good investment treated as a serious, and often very profitable, business.
Skinwallet cares as much for the cool artwork as for the pure interest in gaming and knowledge of veteran skin traders. We want to be your best source of information about CSGO skins, skin trading, as well as some other topics related to either CSGO skins or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive itself.
This post will be entirely devoted to the topic of CSGO skins with all their intricacies, important characteristics, terminology, and everything else that should appear in a complete CSGO skins guide. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it
This post will be entirely devoted to the topic of CSGO skins with all their intricacies, important characteristics, nomenclature, and everything else that should appear in a complete CSGO skins guide. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.
CSGO Skins Rarity
CSGO skins rarity is one of the most important qualities or features that every skin has. Skin rarity, also known as skin grade is arbitrarily prescribed to a given skin by Valve’s team. The grade has an impact on the statistical chance of dropping or uncasing a weapon skin, knife, or gloves, thus rendering higher grade skins much rarer than the lower grade CSGO skins.
There are currently eight rarity grades in CSGO. Each of these rarity grades has its general price range as well as some well-known skins of that rarity grade. In the context of CSGO skins rarity, usually the rarer the skin the more expensive it gets. .
Consumer Grade (White)
The most common and widespread skins. You can usually drop the as the random drop after a game of CSGO. Most of the Common CSGO skins cost just a few cents. Good for Trade Up contracts.
Industrial Grade (Light blue)
A bit rarer than Consumer Grade, but still quite common. Likewise, they are often dropped as random weekly rewards after matches. They usually cost a couple of cents up to couple dollars.
Mil-Spec (Blue)
The first grade that drops from any Weapon Case. There is a lot of them on the market. Alternatively, Blue skins can be easily obtained through Trade Up contracts and are often used in Trade Up contracts themselves. They usually const few dollars at most, but can reach dozens or even a $100.
Restricted (Purple)
Much more difficult to get, usually a fruit of Weapon Case opening or Trade Up contracts. This is the most numerous rarity grade that still has some interesting weapon skins. Their prices can differ from a few dollars up to a couple of hundreds. Restricted skins are often considered a sweet spot in CSGO skins trading and investing.
Classified (Pink)
Very rare and quite expensive. Many interesting skins are part of the Classified rarity grade. Due to their rarity and average prices, Restricted skins are often considered a sweet spot in CSGO skins trading and investing.
Covert (Red)
The rarest weapon skins. Most of them are assault rifle and CSGO knife skins, with some AWPs and pistols. They can get extremely expensive, depending on their style and exterior quality.
Contraband (Orange)
Reserved for CSGO skins that were available to drop at some point in-game, but, for different reasons, were removed from the roster. Currently, there is only one Contraband grade skin in CSGO: M4A4 | Howl.
Extraordinary (Gold)
This category includes all CSGO gloves. Every item from this category is considered an “exceedingly rare” item. Depending on the item or skin, they can cost a couple hundred up to a couple of thousands of green, American dollars.
If you’re eager to learn more details about skin quality and rarity, read our dedicated article on that topic.
Why are CSGO skins popular now?
Maybe it’s too early to expect the best CSGO skins to be featured in prime time TV advertisements, but you can see the consciousness of CSGO items imprinted more strongly within the common media user. Surely, the historical trades like the car-worth AWP | Dragon Lore help to spread rumors, but cornerstones alone won’t do the trick.
It would be a safe bet to say that the breaking point was when Counter-Strike: Global Offensive switched to a free-to-play distribution. Previously, the skin trade was limited mostly to people who bought the game. Now even casual players without Prime status can easily obtain several skins a week and start trading them in the global marketplace. This also enabled people to consider buying certain digital products as an investment for the future.
On a side note, in its several years of existence, CSGO has accumulated a big selection of weapon skins, gloves, agents skins, and stickers that make it much more easier and interesting to customize your loadout and outfit ingame. After all, Counter-Strike is entertainment, and personalized entertainment is always on top, but we’ll look at that in a moment.
What are the ways of obtaining CSGO Skins?
Generally speaking, skins of almost all grades can be found in the game in one way or another. However, the precise method, availability, and probability depend on the precise rarity grade and quality of those CSGO skins. Mind, that some very specific items aren’t available anymore.
White and light blue items are easiest to find as random drops after the match. All grades higher than these two can also theoretically drop randomly but are more likely to be achieved through case opening. And that means keys. As of now, most keys cost around $2,50 and, quite obviously, you need to match the key to the case you want to open. Keys are officially distributed by Valve. Even though they could be traded between accounts, in the last update Valve blocked the ability to trade all CSGO keys bought after the update.
If you’re not into surprise mechanics and investing in your skins in the form of keys, you may be interested in Trade Up contracts. It is an in-game mechanics in which you can choose 12 skins of one rarity grade and change them into one of the higher grades. There are some hidden mechanics based on luck, but they are generally considered a high-risk, high-reward method that can either give you a rare and pricey item or something very common and boring.
It is important to know which skins and weapon cases can still be dropped. That’s because older cases and skins often stop being dropped which automatically raises their price and lowers their availability on the market in the long run.
How much do CSGO skins cost?
Unfortunately, there is no one, clear-cut answer to that question. However, there are different ways to approach it. In general, normal rules of free market apply here, so we can say that CSGO skins cost as much as the buyer is willing to pay for them. But that isn’t very specific, is it?
Luckily, we can learn a lot by looking at how the veteran traders evaluate CSGO skins. You see, even though some low-grade skins drop as the random drops, most of the skins come from weapon cases. To open any case you need a case key, which are sold solely by the Valve through the Steam platform. The cost of all keys is fixed on $2,50, we can use it to evaluate the theoretical cost of a CSGO skin or the potential basic value. You just need to take the $2,50 and multiply it by the average number of keys you will have to use to have the statistical certainty to drop that particular skin. Add all elements like different rarity grades, exterior quality (Battle-Scarred and Factory New are the least common), and special qualities such as StatTrak technology which there’s only a 10% chance for each rarity grade.
That is why, the more historical data you have about the average drop rates, the more precise the evaluation will be. However, it is important to remember that this method only suggests a price and there are many other factors that will ultimately change the final evaluation. Quite obviously, some skins are much more liked than the other skins. Naturally, the fans’ favorites will be more expensive. This can be observed quite well when it comes to knives which are all exceedingly rare items and the prices can still vary a lot between different models and finishes.
There is also the case of Souvenir skins. These skins come from the Souvenir packages that are awarded during major tournaments to a small number of people watching official streams. The skins that come from these packages have already applied stickers related to that particular tournament teams and players. Depending on how the tournament goes, who wins and who is the MVP the price of the skin may rise a lot. A combination of a very rare skin with rare stickers of top players may raise the potential price to very absurd amounts. After all, such skins are one of a kind.
How does the exterior quality of skin influence your skin value?
The exterior quality of the CSGO skins is a feature that imitates the wear and tear weapons undergo in battlefield situations. Scratches, washouts, missing components, darkened colors – there’s a lot of different effects. The exterior quality of the skin is also an element that can influence the skin rarity. By influencing the rarity it ultimately has an impact on the final price.
Exterior quality is represented as a float number, from 0 to 1. It is a value randomly given to a skin when it is uncrated or dropped for the first time. The weapon quality does not degrade over time and cannot be changed by any means. There are five levels of wear a skin can have:
- Factory New (0.00 – 0.07)
- Minimal Wear (0.07 – 0.15)
- Field-Tested (0.15 – 0.38)
- Well-Worn (0.38 – 0.45)
- Battle-Scarred (0.45 – 1.00)
Keep in mind that the quality attribution can be represented as a bell curve, thus, the edge values (Factory New and Battle-Scarred) are much less common than the Minimal Wear or Field-Tested pieces. Some skins don’t have some of the wear levels, leaving them with Minimal Wear as the top quality or Field-Tested as the bottom one. In general, Factory New skins are much more expensive than their more worn out counterparts with jumping up in price by the factor of two, three, or even more in relation to Minimal Wear. A good example is AK-47 | Asiimov which costs around $50 at Minimal Wear. Factory New, however, costs almost $200. If we add StatTrak to the equation, the differences will be even more extreme. The same Minimal Wear AK-47 | Asiimov with StatTrak can cost up to $150, whereas Factory New reaches almost $900.
The growing interest in CSGO skins
There are certain aspects to the CSGO skins, or game skins in general, that may suggest the sources of their high popularity. First of all, skins in CSGO have a function of visibility. Based on the notion of being better than everyone else so deeply rooted in competitive gaming, vanity items of low rarity fit nicely into that notion. This approach is also fueled further by various developers who obviously want to monetize their often free-to-play games. With the value of the skins being self-assigned and having no actual price cap, the prestige of having one of the rarest CSGO skins such as M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web with a very symmetrical pattern only grows more.
What’s more, with low rarity comes the high price, and, for a completely digital item that has no influence on the gameplay mechanics, they tend to cost a lot of money. Sure, you will drop your skin for the round if you die and someone may pick it up. However, they will be able to only use that ultra-rare skin until the end of the game. It’s like a difference between driving a Rolls-Royce once and owning one. Additionally, with the bigger skins market, not only in CSGO but also in other games, more and more people look at CSGO skins like on a type of cryptocurrency or investment which means more money on the skins market. Lastly, we cannot forget about people that just want to own and use something they find cool, interesting, and beautiful. After all, some of the skins are small works of art with a serious design concept, hours of work, and numerous iterations behind them.
I believe this ability to attract different people for different reasons to the same CSGO skins is the best proof, as well as cause for the overall popularity of CSGO skins.
Guide to buying CSGO skins
When it comes to buying CSGO skins there are different options, all with their pros and cons. Which one should you choose? It really depends on what you need and what you prefer.
The first place to buy CSGO skins is the Steam Community Market. Its biggest advantage is security. Because everything is automated inside the Steam environment and all accounts that trade there are thoroughly checked and have to be set up properly, you will be able to buy the skins that interest you with just a few clicks. However, to trade on the Steam Community Market, you will have to add money to your Steam Wallet. The thing is, you won’t be ever able to pay it out in any way. You can utilize it for CSGO skins, card packs, and games on Steam. Another characteristic of the Steam Community Market is that the prices there are usually higher by around 20% than on third-party marketplaces. Moreover, every transaction on the Steam Community Market has a transaction fee on top of the already high price. In case of CSGO skins, it’s 15%, and, you guessed it, it is covered by the buyer. Still, this is probably the easiest way to buy CSGO skins.
The second option is to go for third-party marketplaces. By design, they solve some of the problems that skin traders have with Steam Community Market. Therefore, the prices are lower, the transaction fees are smaller and, in some cases, are split between the seller and the buyer. Moreover, you can use different forms of payment as well as payout any leftovers back on to your private account. However, the biggest problem with third-party markets is that they are plagued with automated scam bots, so you need to watch out. Building Skinwallet Market, we aimed at making user safety the priority. This resulted in creating a scam-proof procedure that, if followed step by step, lets you enjoy the bargain prices with no worries about compromising your account.
The third valid option is to buy them off another private trader. You can find people that wish to sell their unwanted skins through various CSGO skins trading hubs, such as Reddit subreddits, different Discord servers, forums, and Steam Trading Groups. It is worth mentioning that such trades never really include real money. That is why when you wanted to buyout some skins you’d use CSGO keys. Due to the recent changes in keys trading policy, veteran traders gravitate towards Dota 2 Arcanas instead.
Selling CSGO Skins
You have practically the same options when selling skins. This time, however, the pros and cons will slightly differ. Steam Community Market is still the safest choice. Moreover, the highest prices on the market should satisfy you as a seller. The transaction fee is also paid fully by the buyer. The problem is, you won’t be able to pay out your money in any way, due to how Steam Wallet works. You can only spend that money on new skins, cards or Steam games. There are workarounds to this, but you will lose a lot from your initial value and the process is painful.
That’s why, if you want your money outside the Steam ecosystem, you have to go for third-party markets. Yet again, the same pros and cons: lower prices, less security, but you get the option to pay out your cash through a wide range of payout systems such as Paypal, Payoneer, Payeer, WebMoney or Skrill. If you need money ASAP, consider using SkinWallet, as it is the best paying instant-deposit, instant-payout system on the market.
Which are the most popular CSGO skins?
Here’s a list of most popular names out of all CSGO skins. Of course, popular doesn’t mean widespread. Some of these skins are legendary and very rare, some are easily the best cheap CSGO skins, others are just incredibly expensive.
AWP | Wildfire
FAMAS | Commemoration
AWP | Neo-Noir
AK-47 | Neon Rider
M4A4 | Neo-Noir
MP7 | Bloodsport
AK-47 | The Empress
Five-SeveN | Hyper Beast
AK-47 | Bloodsport
Glock-18 | Wasteland Rebel
R8 Revolver | Fade
AWP | Hyper Beast
AK-47 | Wasteland Rebel
P90 | Asiimov
M4A1-S | Cyrex
AWP | Asiimov
AWP | Lightning Strike
P90 | Death by Kitty
AWP | Dragon Lore
AUG | Akihabara Accept
AUG | Momentum
XM1014 | Incinegator
AUG | Death by Puppy
P90 | Nostalgia
UMP-45 | Momentum
USP-S | Cortex
AWP | Mortis
R8 Revolver | Llama Cannon
M4A4 | Hellfire
AWP | Fever Dream
M4A1-S | Decimator
CZ75-Auto | Xiangliu
FAMAS | Mecha Industries
Sawed-Off | Wasteland Princess
M4A4 | Desolate Space
SCAR-20 | Bloodsport
UMP-45 | Primal Saber
P90 | Shapewood
AK-47 | Frontside Misty
Five-SeveN | Monkey Business
P250 | Cartel
AWP | Corticera
P2000 | Corticera
USP-S | Caiman
USP-S | Orion
AK-47 | Redline
P90 | Trigon
AWP | Redline
P250 | Mehndi
M4A1-S | Control Panel
M4A4 | Poseidon
M4A1-S | Hot Rod
SCAR-20 | Splash Jam
M249 | Aztec
AWP | Atheris
Desert Eagle | Light Rail
MP5-SD | Gauss
UMP-45 | Moonrise
G3SG1 | High Seas
UMP-45 | Arctic Wolf
UMP-45 | Exposure
P90 | Death Grip
XM1014 | Seasons
Galil AR | Crimson Tsunami
USP-S | Cyrex
R8 Revolver | Reboot
MAG-7 | Praetorian
PP-Bizon | Fuel Rod
M4A4 | Evil Daimyo
AWP | Worm God
P250 | Supernova
FAMAS | Pulse
M4A4 | Howl
Classic Knife | Slaughter
Classic Knife | Forest DDPAT
Talon Knife | Doppler
Butterfly Knife | Marble Fade
Classic Knife | Fade
Butterfly Knife | Doppler
Talon Knife | Fade
Butterfly Knife | Fade
Karambit | Fade
Karambit | Lore
Karambit | Gamma Doppler
M9 Bayonet | Lore
Stiletto Knife | Marble Fade
Classic Knife | Crimson Web
M9 Bayonet | Marble Fade
Karambit | Tiger Tooth
Butterfly Knife | Slaughter
M9 Bayonet | Case Hardened
M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web
Karambit | Case Hardened (Blue Gem)
M9 Bayonet | Freehand
Navaja Knife | Doppler
Navaja Knife | Fade
Falchion Knife | Tiger Tooth
Bowie Knife | Blue Steel
Ursus Knife | Stained
Summary
CSGO skins make for a complex, multilayered topic. On the surface, they are just cosmetic items, a vanity that can sometimes cost a lot of money. For some people, however, CSGO skins are a very important aspect of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as important as gameplay mechanics and teamwork.
This article covers all the basic concepts around CSGO skins and helps you collect, buy, and sell CSGO skins on various marketplaces. We strongly encourage you to browse our blog for more specific tips and tutorials on both CSGO gameplay and skin trading. If there’s anything you consider essential in that field of interest, don’t hesitate to write to us and we’ll gladly expand on the topic!
