The Fluctuation of Skin Prices in CS:GO

Price fluctuations are normal on the CS2 skin market. However, understanding the value of specific skins and the overall pricing process is crucial for those who frequently buy or sell skins, especially for profit. Skin rarity, float value, patterns, StatTrak support, and sticker availability all contribute to a skin’s market value. Popularity, trends, and demand also play a role. If you want to know everything about skin pricing and the reasons for price changes, this article is for you.

Factors Affecting Skin Prices

Three factors can be identified that often influence skin price volatility on the market:

1. Market sentiment. A global economic downturn can impact consumer spending, including the purchase of in-game items that are not essential. When major markets experience a downturn, people tend to cut back on non-essential purchases, which can slightly lower skin prices.
2. Investment shifts. Investors are always on the lookout for profitable, stable assets. In times of economic uncertainty, investors tend to withdraw funds from volatile markets (cryptocurrencies, skins). This can lead to a temporary decline in CS2 skin prices due to excess supply over demand.
3. Gaming industry events. The gaming industry is relatively stable, but events such as update releases, meta changes, new collections, and maps can impact the market. The market reacts to these changes, either positively or negatively.

Why Does the Same Skin Have Different Prices?

According to experts on Shadowpay, CS2 skin prices are influenced by several factors, including rarity, float value, pattern, StatTrak, and stickers.

Skin Rarity

All CS2 skins are divided into 7 rarity levels:

• Consumer Grade – these skins are characterized by a white color;
• Industrial Grade – these skins are light blue;
• Mil-Spec Grade – these skins are distinguished from others by their dark blue color;
• Restricted – these skins are purple;
• Classified – these skins are pink;
• Covert – these skins are red;
• Contraband – these skins are gold.

As a rule, white and light blue skins are only found in developer-provided collections. For example, in souvenir packs dropped at Majors or in weekly matchmaking drops. Extremely rare items include knives and gloves, and the game only includes one skin in the “Contraband” category: the M4A4 “Howl” and a sticker of the same name. These skins have been removed from collections, and it’s no longer possible to obtain a new one, as their creator has violated copyright. Each rarity has its own drop rate:

• Mil-Spec Grade – 79.92%.
• Restricted – 15.98%.
• Classified – 3.2%.
• Covert – 0,64% and 0,26% for knives and gloves.

In CS2, skins with StatTrak installed — a frag counter — are marked in orange. Skins from Souvenir Collections, which can be obtained by purchasing a Major loot crate—are marked in yellow. The most expensive skins in the game are Contraband and Covert rarities, specifically knives and gloves.

Skin Quality in CS2

In addition to rarity, each CS2 skin also has a float value — a number from 0.00 to 1.00 — that indicates how worn the skin appears. The higher the float value, the darker and more worn the skin is; it may have numerous scratches and imperfections. The float value range determines the wear levels of the skin:

• Factory New – from 0.00 to 0.07;
• Minimal Wear – from 0.07 to 0.15;
• Field Tested – from 0.15 to 0.37;
• Well-Worn – from 0.37 to 0.44;
• Battle-Scarred – from 0.44 to 1.00.

Each skin receives its float value upon creation. It cannot be manually changed. You can find this indicator on Steam or other platforms in the skin card. The cheapest skins are Battle-Scarred quality, while the most expensive are Factory New. However, there are exceptions.

StatTrak Support

Most skins in CS2 are available for purchase with StatTrak support. This is a counter that allows the weapon owner to track their frag count. This is a very useful feature, especially for players who closely monitor their statistics. However, the cost of a StatTrak-enabled skin can be tens or hundreds of dollars higher.

Stickers on Skins

Another factor that can affect a skin’s price is the presence of stickers. This is especially true for popular skins with rare and expensive stickers, such as those with autographs from players on popular teams. This factor should be taken into account when selling a skin.

Conclusion

The price of a CS2 skin can change in an hour or an evening. Volatility is influenced by both global events and changes made to the game by the developer. Furthermore, the value of each individual skin depends on its characteristics, such as float value, pattern, stickers, and frag counter. The same skin with different characteristics can have completely different prices. Study skin pricing to sell skins profitably and avoid making mistakes when buying new ones. Only with experience comes understanding of the skin’s value.