The History Of The Skins Industry
Not so long, the skin industry was blooming and games such as CS:GO and Dota 2 gained more and more popularity because people wanted to gamble or trade-up their skins for fun or simply for having something unique. Below you can find more information about what happened to the skin industry and how is it looking today.
History of Skins
The entire skin industry was propelled by CS:GO and “The Arms Deal Update” back in late 2013.This marked an era and sites were starting to appear on a daily basis. The thing is, everyone worked around Steam API and this simply was not a long term solution for any of these sites.
Alongside trading and gambling sites, we have also seen people trying to create unique inventories for themselves. I remember that there was one guy that wanted the entire “blue”inventory for himself. He pushed things even further as he grabbed an AK-47 Case Hardened(blue gem) for several thousand dollars. On top of that, he also bought himself a Karambit Case Hardened(blue gem) for over 30,000$.
Third party companies that worked with skin gambling were making insane amount of money and on top of that, it was also against the CS:GO Terms of service so Valve simply had to do something about this. Continue reading and find out what happened to the CS:GO skin gambling and trading industry.
As you can see from the numbers above, this is the type of money managers do not make, and Valve simply had to do something about this. Continue reading and find out what happened to the CS:GO skin gambling and trading industry.
The First Skin Business – Trading & Gambling
In this section of the article, we will talk about two essential parts of skin industry, trading and gambling. Below, you will be able to find two sites that started the avalanche called the skin industry. You will also be able to learn what happened to these sites.
Let’s start things off with the trading industry. There are actually two sites that we can talk about.Even though one of them was mostly used for gambling, you could still trade skins via Steam trade offers without any fees or charges.
CSGOLounge
Back in 2014, this site was bread and butter for everyone who wanted to either gamble or trade-up their existing skins. We all used CSGOLounge and the entire scene loved it. Even though they were offering very poor betting odds/percentages, we simply had to take it as we did not have an alternative.
There were no special bets for matches offered and coverage was quite insane. You could even find tier 3 tournaments, but the odds/percentages shuffled there like insane because not a lot of money was coming into these bets hence why you were able to turn things upside down with a $50 bet.
Alongside CSGO betting, you could also trade your skins. Even though this marketplace was not used that much, I still believe that it set the pillars for other sites such as OPSkins and BitSkins.
As mentioned above, CSGOLounge’s marketplace was available for everyone and it was free of charge. However, it was filled with scammers and this is the main reason why a lot of people avoided using this platform as a trading place for themselves.
OPSkins
Let’s face it, no one here wants to sell their skins for Steam wallet funds because this type of currency is useless for us. Even though there are some people that do not mind having Steam wallet funds available, I simply believe that the majority of us wanted real money for our skins.
This is where OPSkins come into play. They took the entire trading scene by storm. Even though you could not directly trade skins(player-to-player), you could simply sell the skins you wanted and buy new ones for yourself, as simple as that.
Furthermore, OPSkins always had great deals. For example, a lot of people wanted to get rid of their skins really fast hence why they would put them on insane discounts which varied from 33%-50%. From my perspective, these are insane numbers, especially because you can get the skins you want for a cheaper price once compared to the Steam market.
However, OPSkins decided to push things a bit too far and they paid the price for it. Valve banned a lot of their bots and they were simply forced out of business.
Skin Gambling – Rise & Fall
Let’s talk stats. The skin gambling industry, while in its peak was worth well over $5 billion. These are insane numbers if you ask me and you can probably figure out that Valve simply had to do something about it.
There were also quite a lot of scandals involving “PhantomL0rd” and “TmarTn”. Both guys did not disclose that they are a shareholder or even an owner of skin gambling sites they won money on. You can probably imagine that they rigged almost all of their games just to make them win and influence their viewers to come and join this site and easily win money.
Valve hand was forced as lawsuits started to pile up. To be honest, the skin gambling and trading industry was a bubble that was ready to blow up. After announcing cease and desist letters to the most popular skin gambling sites on the market, Valve was able to stop skin gambling in its tracks.
However, site owners once again found a way to work around the Steam API system and we have seen more and more gambling sites on the market. Once again Valve had to do something. This time around, Valve worked hard to fix their Steam API and they were finally able to put a stop on the skin gambling industry.
After introducing 14 days hold period for recently traded skins, Valve killed off the remaining sites that were still somehow able to provide skin gambling via Steam.
What Are the Most Popular Skins?
There is no denying that there are quite a few CSGO skins that are really unique and one of a kind. However, in 2016 there were quite a few skins that were considered rare. Alongside them being rare, they would have a heavy price tag on themselves as well.
The Most Popular CSGO Skin Ever?
AWP Dragon Lore is a dream of every AWPer and competitive CSGO player. Covered in gold, Dragon Lore is without a doubt the best looking skin out there. On top of that, getting this skin in a decent condition will cost you a lot of money.
If you decide to buy a factory new Dragon Lore right now, it would cost you roughly around $2500. However, there is an alternative to this. You can use Lootbear to rent AWP Dragon Lore for only a couple of dollars per month.
Nice Looking Knives
Let’s face it, we all dream of having an excellent knife which will leave everyone stunned once you inspect it. With Lootbear, you will not have to spend a lot of money in order to accomplish that. So what are some of the best knives in CSGO right now?
Talon Knife – Doppler, Fade, Tiger Tooth
This bad boy is definitely an upgrade once compared to Karambit. Almost everyone fell in love with Talon knives once they were released and this is why they are so expensive. For instance, Talon Knife Doppler will cost you from $600 to $1000, depending on the float and phase.
Alongside Doppler, Talon Knife Fade and Tiger Tooth are also excellent picks. You will leave your teammates in delirium once you start spinning your knife and you do not have to tell them that you got it for less than $10 a month.
Butterfly Knife – Marble Fade, Tiger Tooth, Fade
In my personal opinion, Butterfly has the best inspect animation out of every other knife in CSGO. You being able to spin it like a pro around your hand is definitely a good feeling.
There are quite a few Butterfly skins that look insane. On top of my list is definitely Marble Fade one. Mixture of the colors fits perfectly, but the price is hefty as well. Starting from $850 all the way up to $1500 is a lot of money.
On the other hand, Butterfly Tiger Tooth and Fade are two cheaper options for you. You can get them roughly for the same price of $600. These two skins as well will look very good once you start spinning them around your wrist.
Benefits of Having CSGO Skins?
Some will say that there are no benefits of having skins in your inventory. However, I would disagree. If you acquire a very good looking skin, your gameplay will definitely improve.
Your movement will improve and you will have a lot more confidence to take fights that you would not usually take.
Furthermore, if you like to brag, CSGO skins are the best way to do it. There are people with insane inventories that simply enjoy collecting those skins. Who knows, maybe you will find your happiness in being a CSGO skin collector.
All in all, having CSGO skins in your inventory will surely benefit you. Your aim will improve, you will move like a madman around the map, and overall, your CSGO experience will be much better. This is why I would advise you get a couple of skins and try it out yourself.
Rent CSGO Skins – LootBear
However, Valve was not able to seize operations for legit sites. One of them being us.
On top of that, LootBear also allows you to earn money by renting your skins to other players. Keep in mind that this process is safe, secure and you do not have to worry about your skins being stolen or sold to someone else. LootBear has got you covered.
There are three plans that you can subscribe to. The cheapest one will cost you $14.99 per month and it will allow you to rent skins that are valued at $150 max. You will also be able to rent 2 simultaneous skins. For instance, you can grab both gloves and a decent knife for $14.99 a month.
To summarize, LootBear will provide you with something unique for a low price. If you want to grab the most exclusive skins on the market, you can get them for $24.99 per month and you can have an insane inventory without having to invest thousands of dollars.
This blog post has been written by the awesome guys over at TopGamersGuide – Check them out for more content centering around the world of gaming.