When to Sell CS:GO Skins

CS:GO skins are one of the best and most engaging aspects of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Millions of players buy and sell them; some even own hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a very lucrative market if you know what you’re doing or if you’re lucky enough to unbox some truly spectacular skins.

The Value of CS:GO Skins

The value of a CS:GO skin is determined by the market, and it usually varies based on rarity class, wears class, and desirability. The most expensive skins cost thousands of dollars. 

You may think that nobody would pay that amount of money for a digital item that doesn’t even help you win more games, but there are thousands of people waiting in line to acquire one if the price is right. For example, more than 2600 waiting to buy an AWP Dragon Lore at around $2100.

When to Sell CS:GO Skins

The same is true for other expensive skins, such as the AK-47 Golden Arabesque or the AK-47 Wild Lotus. Such skins can make players go crazy, and you can sell them instantly, even at huge prices.

In total, there are seven rarity classes:

  • Consumer Grade (white)
  • Industrial Grade (light blue)
  • Mil-Spec (Blue)
  • Restricted (Purple)
  • Classified (Pink)
  • Covert (Red)
  • Extraordinary (Gold)

The real money is in the last 3-4 categories. If you own a purple, a pink, a red, or a gold item, chances are it’s worth a lot. In some cases, $500 – $3000.

Another thing that gives a CS:GO skin value is its float point or wear class.

  • Factory New: 0.00 – 0.07
  • Minimal Wear: 0.07 – 0.15
  • Field-Tested: 0.15 – 0.37
  • Well-Worn: 0.37 – 0.44
  • Battle-Scarred: 0.44 – 1.00

The less it has been used, the more valuable it is.

Finally, another important characteristic that can make a CS:GO skin a lot more expensive is StatTrak. StatTrak skins are 10 times rarer than their standard model, allowing you to see how many kills you made with the weapon for which they are used.

At the extreme, a Covert, Factory New, StatTrak skin can cost enormous money. It’s unlikely to own one, but you can make hundreds or thousands of dollars overnight if you do.

When to Sell CS:GO Skins

CS:GO skins are worth selling in one of several situations:

You’re in Need of Money

If you need money quickly, selling CS:GO skins is no different from selling crypto or gold. You simply exchange an item that has value for a gaming community for fiat money, which has value for society in general.

Of course, selling your highly valuable skins is never fun, but if you have other priorities, they can bring you a lot of money instantly.

Remember, however, that when you sell skins to obtain money you can use in the real world, you must use a proper skin market. Using the Steam Marketplace is not viable because Steam will not allow you to get your money out of your account.

When you sell your CS:GO skins on an external market, the prices you will get for your skins will usually be lower. However, the money you receive from them can be withdrawn from your bank account. And that makes a huge difference. What you sell on the Steam Marketplace can only be used to buy skins and games.

You Want to Take Advantage of a Steam Sale

Sometimes, you may want to buy great video games at a huge discount. You don’t need to sell expensive skins to make $50 – $100. It’s sufficient to have a lot of weapon cases and cheap skins and just sell them all on the same day. 

And most likely, your profit will be above $50, which is more than enough to buy several great games during a Steam sale. When you do this, ask for a reasonable price the market is willing to pay immediately. Otherwise, by the time you’ve made the sale, the Steam Sale will be over, and you’ll need to wait another 4-6 months.

You Notice a Sharp Decline in the Number of CS:GO Players

CS:GO skins are valuable in part because the CS:GO community is huge. More than 10 million people play CS:GO, and around 20% of them also watch professional tournaments. When the community gains new players, the value of the game’s skins increases. But when it loses players, the value naturally decreases.

Right now, the number of average concurrent players is around 590,000. It’s not bad, but it’s nowhere near the number registered in January 2021: 743,000.

Skins are a speculative asset, and their price can either go up or down based on the market demand. Very rare skins tend to go up in price over the years, while more common ones tend to vary in price based on the size of the community.

If you think skin has reached its peak and will likely start to drop in price, sell it. But if you suspect it may go even higher or keep its value for the foreseeable future, keep it.

You’ve Decided to Quit CS:GO

If you no longer want to play CS:GO, it’s a good idea to make money while you’re out. Don’t sell your account, and don’t delete it either until you’ve sold your skins. Even if you’ve never been interested in CS:GO skins, checking your inventory one more time may reveal a treasure.

There are many people who play video games without really understanding the huge value of the skin market. These people often lose thousands of dollars because they delete or sell their accounts out of a desire to quit, without taking a few minutes to find out how much their inventory is worth.