Skin trading is now an intrinsic part of the gaming experience in CSGO and its successor CS2. In addition to being a fun way to personalize gameplay, CS skins also function as extremely valuable digital assets that can be traded or bought and sold at various online marketplaces. Skin rarity, in particular, is one of the key factors in deciding the value of these digital items, and is fueling the CS trading economy.
If you want to dive in and start trading CS2 skins, you can learn more about trading platforms where users can purchase, sell and swap their in game items safely and effectively. If you want to find out more information, please read the following guide about how to trade csgo skins and more.
What Determines Skin Rarity?
In CS skins, they’re rewarded with rarities, which tell you the chances of getting that skin in the game, and how much it’s for once in the trading market. Skins use a rarity tier assigned by CS company Valve, based on the chance of dropping. The main rarity tiers in CS are:
Consumer Grade (White): These are the standard, most common, these are the ‘low-value’ skins, so to speak, the entry level skins, so to speak. They are easily available and relatively cheap too.
Industrial Grade (Light Blue): These are still relatively affordable skins, which are a bit rarer than consumer grade skins.
Mil-Spec Grade (Blue): Consumer and industrial grade skins are rarer than these. After exploring trading opportunities players start to show more interest in this tier.
Restricted (Purple): These skins are generally rare, and that’s due in part not only to their rarity but also the combination of the two — rarity and value.
Classified (Pink): This is the start of rare skins. Because classified skins are incredibly rare they are sought by and fetch a high market value.
Covert (Red): Very few Covert skins can be found and their trading values are usually very high.
Contraband (Orange): These skins are unusually rare, and most times, you only get them during a limited-release event or as a promo drop. They are often expensive because they are so exclusive.
Exceedingly Rare Skins: Ambrosia is actually just one of several limited edition and rare weapon finishes, also featuring the rare and valuable StatTrak™ and unique stickers.
Depending on the scarcity and appeal of a given skin in the marketplace, each tier represents a balance between scarcity and appeal that influences how players (and traders) weigh skin value.
How Market Value Depends on Rarity
A skin’s rarity affects its market value and, therefore, its popularity in trading circles. The rarer the skin, the more valuable it becomes, and this is due to several factors:
Scarcity: The fewer of those skins in circulation the lower the drop rate, the rarer resulting they become.
Aesthetic Appeal: Rarity is one of the key factors, but that skin must appear in order to be desired. Skins with interesting designs, eye pleasing bright colors and with themes to offer are more frequently sought after, if they fall in the tier that is rarer.
Demand and Trends: Demand is a large factor, just like any market. However, some of the skins might even increase in value based on present day trends, influencer use or a big community in general when it is already rare.
StatTrak and Souvenir Editions: The variants of these often turn the skin even more attractive because they add additional features to the skin: kill counters and commemorative events, for example. And trading rare skins with StatTrak™ will make the trading value spike much higher.
Trading Rare CS Skins
If there’s someone looking to reap avails on rare skins, then knowing where to trade is critical. There are many online platforms that sell skins, and with that, you can connect with other users who are able to provide you with skins, safe and sound. But not all sites are the same, and it’s important to only use trusted and secure platforms so you don’t fall victim to scams or worse, security issues. When trading, players should consider the following:
Current Market Value: Get an understanding of the value of the skin you are trading by always checking recent sales or listings.
Platform Fees: Some of the trading sites charge fees for transactions. Make sure you know what the fee structure is before you complete any trade because it can affect the amount you ultimately receive.
Trade Security: Ensure your account and assets are protected from any scams by choosing sites that have secure trading methods.
To get a reliable list of trading sites and guides of how to trade safe, you can visit this trade csgo skins resource.
Optimum Times of Trading
Traders aim to have good price moves on their rare CS skins and would closely monitor the market for it. Values from skin can vary from demand, game update or community trend. In fact, some traders will ‘invest’ in skins, holding onto rare items in the hope that they will grow in value.
Not only that but making items unique by taking uncommon skins and exclusive stickers or sacrificing stattraks™ for them will surely increase its value. It can start generating money for you as well as investment in high demand skins during popular events, where such skins can yield huge returns.
