A Miniguide to CS:GO Quality of Skins

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When we talk about CSGO skins, we often refer to the concept of quality of skins. However, this is not one definite notion and can refer to different characteristics depending on the context. Only when taking the entire set of characteristic features as one, a complete picture of each individual skin is given.

In this post, we will talk a bit about the CSGO quality of skins, what te particular types of qualities there are and how do they impact the overall quality of CSGO skins.

CSGO Quality of Skins order, characteristics, and value

When talking about CSGO quality of skins we can distinguish between two groups of quality: weapon rarity and weapon exterior quality (wear and tear). Let’s start with the weapon rarity. As of today, there are eight rarity grades but the only six of them are normal grades that apply to the weapon skins. 

Consumer Grade (White)

These are the most common skins that you usually get as the random drop after a match. You can also get them by trading with other players or buying them from Steam Community Market or  in Common weapon skins usually cost just a few cents, but there are some exceptions like FAMAS | Contrast Spray (FN) or SSG 08 | Sand Dune (FN) that reach as high as $20 at times. Other than a few exceptions they are good for Trade Up contracts.  

Industrial Grade (Light blue)

Slightly rarer than the white, Consumer Grade skins but still pretty common and wide-spread, Industrial Grade skins are often dropped after the match as random rewards. More expensive skins from this category like Galil AR | Winter Forest (FN) can go up to a whopping $50, which, for skin from that rarity grade is extremely rare. Of course, we don’t include souvenirs here as these type of skins is a category on its own.

Mil-Spec (Blue)

Blue skins are the most basic type of skins that can be dropped from any case. There are the bottom feeders, the bread, and butter of anyone opening on a daily basis. Equally easy to obtain through Trade Up contracts and often useful for further Trade Up contracts. Although most ranges between few and a dozen dollars per piece, there are some very expensive skins in this category, for example, stylish AUG | Hot Rod (FN) priced around a stable $125.

Restricted (Purple)

These skins are quite hard to get, thus can achieve much higher prices much more often. Especially StatTrak versions and Factory New wear levels. A good example of this category is my beloved Glock-18 | Fade. Usually, prices for Glock-18 | Fade start around $250 and goes up. 

Classified (Pink)

These skins are very rare, which means most of them are rather expensive items ranging intro dozens or hundreds of dollars per piece. Some of the most wanted from this grade, like a Factory New SCAR-20 | Splash jam easily goes for $500 or more. 

Covert (Red)

The pinnacle of weapon skins. Most of this category is comprised of AK-47 and M4 skins, with some AWPs on the top.  If you got one and need a lot of money at once, you could pay your bills for a month by selling one of those on the more expensive end of the price spectrum. The best example is AWP | Dragon Lore that can easily go for $1500-$2000.

Where and how to obtain weapon skins of every quality

If we take into consideration only items from the “normal” grades described above, they can all be found in the game in one way or another. However, the precise method depends on the rarity and quality of CSGO skins.

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 but they can also be bought on third-party websites and marketplaces, often for less than the official retail price.

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 grade. There are some hidden mechanics based on luck, but they are generally considered a high-risk, high-reward method. 

What are the chances of obtaining the best quality CSGO skins?

It’s a hard question to tackle as the answer depends on what method of obtaining the skins you will employ. However, if we’re talking about case openings, there are some percentage values we can base on. Here are the chances of getting an item from each of the rarity grades: 

Mil-Spec (Blue) – 79,92327%

Restricted (Purple) – 15,98465%

Classified (Pink) – 3,19693%

Covert (Red) – 0,63939%

Special Items/Knives (Gold) – 0,25575%

Moreover, each of the categories presented above has a 10% chance to become a StatTrak item. This means that the chances for StatTrak skins drops are as follow:

Mil-Spec (Blue) – 7,99233%

Restricted (Purple) – 1,59847%

Classified (Pink) – 0,31969%

Covert (Red) – 0,06394%

Special Items/Knives (Gold) – 0,02558%

Taking into consideration how low the drop rates for better items are it may seem that opening CSGO cases is not profitable at all. If you are looking for particular items, it may be better to just buy them off the market.

Selling and buying skins from each quality of skins

If you don’t want to leave everything to chance, you may always buy every skin from your CSGO quality of the skins list. In regard to that, there are basically two ways to buy the skins you want. The first is to go for the Steam Community Market. This is the perfect choice if you’re quick on your feet. There are also third-party markets with prices lower than the Steam Community Market. Just check Skinwallet Market’s catalogue and see how a clear interface can make it easier for you to find just what you need.

If you want to get rid of the skins and make some money, do remember that even though the prices at the Steam Community Market are higher than in any other place, the money will stay in your Steam Wallet and there is no way to pay it out. You will be able to only use it to buy new skins from Steam Community Market, Steam games or cards. You can sell your skins on third-party markets if you wish to use the money on something other than skins. If you need your money ASAP the best choice is to use Skinwallet, as you can get your cash in just 3 minutes. 

Summary

We talked a bit about the CSGO quality of skins, its order, what the quality of CSGO skins can mean and what are the rarity grades when it comes to CSGO skins. I hope you found this short guide useful. 

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