If you're a CSGO player who dabbles in trying out new and different skins, then you've probably noticed that not all skins are the same, and not all of them cost the same amount of money. There is a reason behind why two models of the same skins can cost different amounts of cash. The most significant factor that determines this is skin float and rarity.
It's probably quite easy to understand the rarity factor. Anything rare costs a lot of money, there's nothing surprising about that. Although, there are rarity grades that determine a lot, which we will also talk about.
The float factor, on the other hand, probably needs further explanation. That's what we're here to do today. Below, you will learn more about the CSGO skin wear levels, how this affects their price, and more.
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How Does Exterior Quality of Skins Affect Price?
Before we go on to explaining skin rarity and float value, you need to understand how this affects their price. A weapon skin in CSGO can experience wear and tear. Because of this, the more wear they experience the less they are worth. Rarity grades have a similar impact. The less rare the skins are, the less they will cost, obviously.
Float Factors of CS:GO Skins
The wear levels of CS:GO skins can be measured by something known as a float factor. Counter-Strike Global Offensive uses this measurement system to rank skins based on how much wear they have experienced. This, in addition, establishes a reasonable range of prices that a certain skin can be priced at. Here are all of the CSGO skin wear levels and everything you need to know about them. They are ranked from best to worst.
Factory New (FN)
Each of the wear levels can also be measured with numbers. Their float value establishes the range a specific skin can wear until it drops down to a different wear level. The Factory New level is measured from 0.00 to 0.07. Anything below this immediately drops to Minimal Wear condition.
Factory New CS:GO skins look the best because they are the newest, they have almost no wear. They are also the most expensive, depending on what type of skin is and its rarity. Whenever exterior quality is in question, there is nothing better than a Factory New skin quality.
Minimal Wear (MW)
The second best quality level when it comes to CS:GO skin wear is Minimal Wear. This type of skin will typically be cheaper than Factory New but there are cases well Minimal Wear is actually more expensive. This doesn't happen a lot but the possibility is very much real. The float factor for this quality level ranges between 0.07 and 0.15.
In some cases, it's almost impossible to spot the difference between this wear level and Factory New. Sure, MW is slightly more degraded and can cost less, but it can still make you a lot of money if you come across some of the rare ones.
Field-Tested (FT)
This is one of the CS:GO skin wear levels where most players find the perfect items to both sell and buy. Field-Tested is sort of a silver lining for skin quality. It's not perfect but it's lost not bad at all. Many skins look amazing in this wear level, preventing them from losing value. When it comes to float factor, Field-Tested ranges from 0.15 to 0.38.
Aside from all of the good things we mentioned about this one, this is also where you start noticing things like scratches, color fades, and more. You can get great value for the money, but it's definitely more noticeable when using such a skin in the game itself than the other wear levels we mentioned.
Well-Worn (WW)
This is where things might get disappointing. Before you get all depressed, know that there are Well-Worn skins in CS:GO that are still worth a couple of hundred dollars at least. As we mentioned, the float factor alone doesn't determine the price of a skin. The float value for Well-Worn skins ranges between 0.38 and 0.45.
You will immediately notice when you see a weapon skin of this type. It has significant differences from the higher levels. There are more scratches, more rust, they look older and simply worse. In some cases, the skin is almost unrecognizable from its brand new condition.
Battle-Scarred (BS)
The last wear level of skins in CS:GO is Battle-Scarred. This is where you find the skins that look the worst. They are severely damaged, they look very old, there are tons of scratches, and you would usually want to stay away from such skins. The float value of Battle-Scarred skins ranges from 0.45 up to 1.00, which is the limit. They can't go beyond this limit, and a skin with a float value of 1.00 will be at its worst condition ever.
CSGO Skins Rarity Grade
As mentioned, there is one more thing that significantly impacts the price of skins in CS:GO. Wear levels are extremely important, we can't deny that but rarity grades also play a huge role. The rarity grades are categorized in various colors. Here is the list of all of them and everything you need to know about each. They are ranked from least rare to rarest.
Consumer Grade (White)
The first one, and the least rare of the bunch, is known as Consumer Grade. You will see this type of skin drop most commonly. They are highly likely to drop after a game in CS:GO and contain decent skins, nothing too special.
Industrial Grade (Light Blue)
These are less likely to drop than the previous grade but are still quite common. The short audio clip you hear when they drop isn't the same as the previous grade as well. If you want an increased chance of seeing skins of this grade, look for them in random weekly rewards and matches.
High Grade (Blue)
Now we are getting to the rarer ones. When you see a darker blue color next to the item that's just dropped, expect a slightly rarer skin than the previous two. High-Grade skins still usually cost only a couple of dollars, but in some cases than can almost reach up to $100.
Restricted Grade (Purple)
With the Restricted Grade, it's going to take you a few more weapon case openings to get such an item than you'd like. However, this is still not the rarest grade, and it's not extremely uncommon to see such a drop. They can still cost only a few dollars, but it's nothing new to see them costing a couple of hundred dollars as well.
Classified Grade (Pink)
This is where things start getting a bit more expensive. Classified Grade skins are also very difficult to witness dropping. Keep in mind, they are quite rare and expensive, but it's nothing too extreme. Most players enjoy getting such skins because they are the easiest to trade with.
Covert Grade (Red)
If you see an item drop with a red color next to it, consider yourself extremely lucky. Covert skins are the rarest in CS:GO. One glance at the Steam market and you will discover that they can easily be worth a couple of thousand dollars and even more.
Legendary Grade (Gold)
Legendary Grade is still extremely rare but they only contain melee weapons like knives and glove skins as well. Skins of this category are considered exceedingly rare. Only the luckiest of players witness such a drop. These are rarer than Covert but don't actually contain all types of weapons. Their price tag also has no trouble reaching a couple of thousand dollars.
Conclusion
Skins are a crucial part of the community of Counter-Strike Global Offensive. Players love their weapons but they love them more when they look unique and flat out cool. Certain skins provide this and are a great way to make some extra cash. However, the factors and features we talked about impact the price of a skin. Now you know how rarity and wear levels can easily affect how much CS:GO skins are worth. We hope this guide from GlobalCSGO has helped you.
