CS:GO Skin Float Guide
CS:GO skins have a series of characteristics, which can be related to a skin’s rarity, wear level, and other aspects, such as whether it has StatTrak or not, here, you can see all about CS:GO skin float.
When you buy CS:GO skins, their wear level, determined by their float value, dictates the aspect of the skin. The lower the float value, the better the aspect of the skin. The higher the value, the worse the skin is going to look.
You can think of the float value as the CS:GO skin’s age. If it’s close to 1.00, it will look “wrinkly.” If it’s close to 0, it will look brand new. Players will usually want to buy Field-Tested skins, Minimal Wear skins, and Factory New skins. But they will stay away from Well-Worn skins and Battle-Scarred skins.
CS:GO Wear Classes
A skin’s wear class can be one of five types:
- 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)
Everyone wants to own Factory New skins. The reason is easy to understand: these skins look like they’ve just been unboxed. Meanwhile, Battle-Scarred skins look like they’ve been used for 10 years.
In the case of Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred skins, much of the original skin’s design is lost. This means that the version you see online is not the version you’ll get. CS:GO skins are usually shown in their Factory New, Minimal Wear, or Field-Tested version. That’s why they look quite new.
But a Battle-Scarred skin won’t look like that at all. It will be highly damaged in every possible way.
How A Skin’s Float Value Affects Its Price
The float value of a CS:GO skin can affect its price dramatically. The most significant differences are seen in the case of gloves and AWPs. There’s a vast difference between the Factory New and the Field-Tested version of the same skin. The price difference can be double or even triple. In some cases, it’s even bigger.
For many skins, the buyers will mostly pay attention to the wear class and ignore the exact float value. If the skin is Field-Tested, it doesn’t matter if its float value is 0.16 or 0.30. It’s still Field-Tested.
A significant difference in price also exists right at the top of the float value range. If a skin has a float value of 0.0001, that level of quality will be worth much more than one of 0.05. It’s the same wear class, and the differences are barely visible in most cases. But CS:GO players really care about such differences.
The same knife skin can sell for $1000 more if it has a slightly better float value. For gloves, the price increase can be even more significant.
CS:GO Skin Collectors
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a highly popular esport, having a player base of around 20 million. Because it’s been around for more than 10 years, this game will likely remain one of the best in the FPS genre for a long time. Knowing this, some CS:GO enthusiasts think of skins as a great investment for the future.
In CS:GO, high-quality skins are like famous paintings in the world of art. And they can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. It may seem unreasonable to those who don’t understand the CS:GO skin market. But to veterans, the values make perfect sense. They reflect the rarity, quality, and popularity of the items.
Given that 20 million people play CS:GO today, and millions more might join in the next few years, the demand for new skins will only go up. This drives the price up significantly.
The only thing that lowers the price is the sheer number of weapon cases that get opened every month. This number is estimated to be in the tens of millions. But even so, many skins are hard to find. And that gives them a lot of value.
What Types of Skins Are Worth Buying
Depending on your goal, you should stick to the best three wear classes or go lower. In most cases, you’ll want to start with the Field-Tested model and work your way up if your budget is good enough. In the long run, it will pay off.
If you buy skins to utilize them in your games and expect nothing else, you should not invest in Factory New models because they’re much more expensive than the Field-Tested ones.
When it comes to float values, a difference of 10-20 doesn’t make that big of a visual difference. But the price difference will still be huge. If your plan is to sell your skins at a higher price a few years from now, you should invest in Factory New skins. Such skins tend to increase in value dramatically.
When your goal is commerce, rare skins are better than casual ones. Rare skins with wear levels are highly desirable. And if their float values are low enough, they become great even for collectors. Always pay attention to the float value ranges and try to go as low as possible, meaning as close to the ideal 0 float value.
A Key Thing to Note About CS:GO Skins
CS:GO skins do not lose their float value through usage. You can utilize them as much as you want in your games. If they’re Factory New, they will remain Factory New indefinitely.
Some people buy a Factory New skin, and then they behave as though they might damage it in some way by using it. But that is not how this works. So if you’ve invested good money in your skins, enjoy them in every game.