Skins as Status Symbols: Understanding the Psychology of Skin Trading in CS:GO

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By Luciana Oliveira

CS:GO is not just a game, but also a way to earn money. To earn, you need to have patience and a small amount of initial capital. Earnings are usually generated through reselling things, and it takes time to find the right buyer. Just like in real life.

Selling skins with low float value

Weapon skins in CS:GO are divided into five categories depending on their quality. There is a proportional relationship between quality and price: the higher the quality and the more presentable the weapon looks, the more in demand it is, and therefore it costs more (although there are times when this rule does not apply and a poor quality skin costs a lot of money).

The rarer the pattern, the more expensive the weapon

The second important parameter that determines the cost of a weapon is the skin pattern. It must be remembered that this does not apply to all skins, but only to those on which the pattern is different.

Collecting rare items

Many CS:GO items are in limited supply. If the conditional m4a4 daybreak becomes more and more prolific over time, then the supply of graffiti from the majors will gradually lessen, because Valve releases them for sale for a limited period.

Esports affect pricing

In addition to buying items, it is worth keeping an eye on the esports scene in general during the majors. Players end their careers, teams break up, clubs close, and many of them have personal items in CS:GO, which always jump in price if there is a risk that they or their squad will not perform at tournaments again. Over time, prices stabilize, but if you catch a good moment, you can make good money.

Trading is very similar to trading on other platforms. And in addition to basic knowledge of economics, it is important to understand what is happening elsewhere. Suddenly, a new case comes out, Valve introduces new restrictions, or there is an excess of some items on the market. To stay up to date on this, you need to:

  • monitor relevant websites;
  • watch related bloggers;
  • look for market trends.

It is also important to watch the market, and if a cheap skin starts to rise in price, this is a sign that you can think about selling it.

Prices are constantly changing

Marketplaces where you can buy or sell skins are similar to the stock market. In most cases, a sharp drop in value means that it will soon creep up, and vice versa. The main thing is to find and understand the reason for the fall in value. Sometimes one doesn’t exist. For example, some users decide that they do not need a rare and expensive item, and put it up for sale at a price significantly lower than the average, so that it will be bought as quickly as possible. But there are also well-established mechanisms.

Recall that the price of an item largely depends on its rarity. And the more difficult it is to get one or other item, the higher it will be. Sometimes Valve adds limited edition items to the game or removes fairly common ones.

Foremost, this applies to collectible items created in collaboration with other companies.

In general, you can earn real money selling CS:GO skins. But to become a professional skin trader, you need to acquire some skills and understanding of the psychology of the market. You need to remember the legal aspects of trading and learn how to study the process of trading. Finally, pricing is another important skill for successfully selling CS:GO skins.

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Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.

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