Just a couple of months ago, the whole CS2 world and the skins community specifically were shocked by how one person crafted an AK-47 skin worth two million dollars at least. That’s a record amount for one skin. But how are skins prices determined in CS? What does their cost depend on? CS.MONEY Blog experts explain how skin prices are formed in an ultimate guide below.
It’s helpful to know what affects the cost of skins in CS2. Still, the skins market can move and live according to its own laws, but one thing remains unchanged: the most convenient, fastest and easiest way to buy skins is CS.MONEY! We have a huge selection of skins, low prices and user-friendly interface.
Looks and Beauty
One of the basic criteria for determining skins prices is how they look. Ultimately, skins were originally invented as cosmetics for CS:GO weapons. So obviously, eye-catching skins cost more because more people want to buy them. Note that beauty often comes down to the brightness of the skin: more colorful and bright skins usually cost more than their duller counterparts.
The Looks also include wear (Float Value) and Patterns. The lower the Float Value, the higher the price of skins. For example, AK-47 Neon Rider Factory New costs three times more than AK-47 Neon Rider Field-Tested. For skins with dynamic patterns like AWP PAW, for example, fun or extraordinary patterns can increase prices a lot.
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The Looks, of course, are also affected by Float Value as said above, also known as ‘wear’. Float or Wear affects how skins look: like new, or scratched/damaged. Here are all the skin wear types by Floats:
- Factory New (from 0.00 to 0.07)
- Minimal Wear (from 0.07 to 0.15)
- Field Tested (from 0.15 to 0.38)
- Well Worn (from 0.38 to 0.45)
- Battle Scared (from 0.45 to 1.00)
Popularity and Demand
Another important factor for CS skins prices is the Demand and Popularity of skins or weapons. Skins for meta weapons are noticeably more expensive. But that’s pretty logical: most skin owners and collectors not only stash them, but also play the game, using meta weapons which appear frequently in the game, making some skins more expensive than others.
Most popular meta weapons in CS2:
- USP-S
- Glock-18
- Desert Eagle
- AK-47
- AWP
- M4A1-S
- M4A4
In regular and professional matches, these weapons account for more than 7 out of 10 kills; they are bought in almost every round. Hence the prices for their skins.
Rarity of Skins
If Popularity is associated with Demand, then Rarity is associated with Supply. AK-47 Case Hardened mentioned at the beginning (the one worth two million dollars) is so valuable precisely because of its rarity. Using this example, we will analyze what affects this skin’s price.
So, StatTrak AK-47 Case Hardened Factory New with pattern #661. In addition, the skin is from a very rare and old case, CS:GO Weapon Case. It hasn’t been dropping for a long time, which is why its skins are so rare and valuable. Next, let’s do some maths.
- About four skins out of 100 drop in Factory New
- Only every tenth skin has StatTrak
- Pattern #661, the so-called Blue Gem, can randomly spawn on only one skin out of a thousand
Multiplying all these values, StatTrak AK-47 Case Hardened Factory New with pattern #661 is one in a hundred thousand.
Yet, for a skin to be more expensive, it doesn’t have to be the only one in the world. Sometimes, it’s even the opposite: unique, one-of-a-kind skins may have almost no difference in cost compared to their less rare counterparts. Here’s a quick example: there’s only one item of StatTrak Classic Knife Crimson Web Factory New and of Karambit Case Hardened Factory New with pattern #387, like literally one item each. Still, the first one costs several thousand dollars, while the second one costs more than a million.
To sum it up, rarity increases the cost of a skin. But the growth multiplier depends on Demand.
The Secret Factor!
Last but not least is The Secret Factor. See, the price of each specific skin depends not only on Rarity or Demand, but also it’s influenced by sellers. For example, we know Karambit Case Hardened Factory New #387 costs more than a million because the owner refused to sell it for that amount!
And, of course, StatTrak affects the price. As well as whether the skin is a souvenir or not.
When looking for profitable purchases or sales, the human factor cannot be ignored. Some collectors are willing to pay extra for a specific skin. The opposite is also true: sellers who want to sell skins faster can set prices 10% below the market. It is worth paying attention to this factor when buying and selling, because it also significantly affects the price.
TL;DR: What Affects Skins’ Prices?
To summarize, the price of skins in CS is formed based mainly on three factors: The Looks (appearance, design, beauty), The Popularity (of the weapon itself, aka The Demand), and The Rarity (basically, how difficult it is to get one). The first factor is established by the opinion of the majority, that is, the community. The second is set by Valve, because they are the ones who create the weapons meta in CS2. And the third point is formed according to the classic and well-known way: the fewer items (skins), the greater their prices.
Watch our hands. Now, AWP skins are popular and expensive, since even with the release of CS2, this sniper rifle remained the leading one. Hence the high prices for most cool and beautiful skins. If suddenly the developers nerf the AWP into the ground with the next patch and buff for example the semi-automatic SCAR, skins prices for the former will drop and rise for the latter. Of course, excluding legendary and ultra-rare skins like AWP Gungnir or AWP Dragon Lore, since these are already historical artifacts. In general, it’s pretty simple!
However, if you just want to buy yourself a couple of neat skins, do it with CS.MONEY! Fast, cheap and easy.
