When you’re looking for a skin, the first thing you’ll probably notice on any platform or website are terms like “consumer grade,” “covert,” or “classified.” But what do they mean, and why is it important to understand them? Those are exactly the questions we’ll discuss in this article. Ready? Let’s dive in!
What Are Skin Rarities?
Skin rarity is probably the most fundamental thing you should understand about CS2 skins, and in this part of the article, we will cover everything you need to know.
Different Levels of Skin Rarity
In CS2, skins come in different rarity levels, which impact their value and desirability.
The most common skins are Consumer Grade, simple and widely available, while Industrial Grade is only slightly rarer. Moving up, Mil-Spec skins offer more distinct designs and are often a player’s first upgrade. Restricted skins are rarer and more colorful, making them popular with players looking for affordable customization.
Further up are Classified skins, known for bold designs and higher prices, and Covert skins, which are among the rarest standard skins, prized for their unique styles. At the top, Exceedingly Rare items, like Knives and Gloves, are the hardest to find and can command high prices due to their exclusivity.
How Drop Rates Relate to Skin Rarity Levels
You probably already know that drop rates are designed to reflect the rarity of each skin level, meaning the chances of receiving a certain skin type decrease as the rarity increases. When you open CS2 (CS:GO) cases, for example, you’re far more likely to get a Consumer Grade or Industrial Grade skin because these levels have the highest drop rates. As you go up to Mil-Spec, Restricted, and Classified skins, the odds of obtaining these gradually decrease, making them harder to come by and often more desirable to players.
The chances get significantly lower for Covert skins, which are among the rarest standard drops, making them a lucky find. At the top, Exceedingly Rare items, like knives and gloves, have the lowest drop rates of all, so uncovering one of these is a rare event.
How Skin Rarity Levels Affect Prices
Skin rarity levels directly influence prices in CS2, with rare skins generally fetching higher prices due to their limited availability and demand among players. Common skins, being more accessible, are usually priced lower, making them affordable options. In contrast, skins with low drop rates often come with higher price tags, as players are willing to pay more for exclusive designs that aren’t widely available.
How to Get Rare Skins for Free
Earlier, we discussed that getting a rare skin is harder and more costly than getting a common one. Makes sense, right? That’s how it should be! But this doesn’t mean beginners should give up on those rare and expensive skins. Try the following methods to get those skins at cheaper prices or even for free:
Skin Trading
Skin trading in CS2 is when players swap or sell in-game skins with each other, either directly or through trading platforms, to get the items they want or make some profit. It works by finding good deals based on how popular or rare a skin is.
To do well in skin trading, it helps to keep an eye on what’s trending, know the worth of different skins, and trade at the right time to get the best value.
Case Openings
Case openings in CS2 are when players spend in-game currency or real money to open a case, hoping to get a rare or valuable skin. Each case contains a random assortment of skins, and the chances of getting a high-value skin depend on the case’s drop rates. While case openings can be exciting and offer the possibility of a big reward, they are also risky because most of the time, you’ll get lower-value skins.
Participating in Giveaways
Participating in giveaways is another way to get CS2 skins for free. Many websites, streamers, and gaming communities host giveaways where players can enter for a chance to win skins, including rare and valuable ones. To join, you typically need to follow certain steps, like subscribing to a channel, sharing a post, or entering your details on a giveaway platform. While winning is never guaranteed, giveaways can be a fun and low-risk way to add skins to your collection. Just be cautious and make sure the giveaway is from a trustworthy source to avoid scams.
3 Rare Skins to Aim for in Your Inventory
There are hundreds of skins in the game, and choosing one can be a bit challenging or frustrating. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of skins you may want to consider:
Butterfly Knife | Doppler Ruby
The Butterfly Knife | Doppler Ruby comes with StatTrak, and the Factory New version with StatTrak is worth around $15,000. While it may not be the rarest in the “Butterfly Knife | Doppler” series, it’s still one of the more expensive options.
Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore
The Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore has been a favorite for eight years and is always in high demand on the trading market. Right now, the Factory New version is worth around $68,000, which is a huge jump from its $20,000 price in early 2019. That means someone who bought it for $20,000 has made a $48,000 profit.
Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box
Let’s conclude the series with a glove skin. The Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box is one of the most expensive glove skins in CS2, mainly due to its rarity. Depending on their condition, these gloves can be priced anywhere between $2,000 and $60,000. They have a bold design, featuring black and purple mesh with black accents. The Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box is a great example of how glove skins can become valuable assets, with their price increasing by $19,000 in just one year, showing impressive growth.
Conclusion
In this article, we focused on the rarity aspect of CS2 skins. We started by discussing the basics you should be aware of, such as what skins are, what a rare skin means, and how rarity affects skin prices.
Then, we covered how to get rare skins and, at the end, selected three rare and well-designed skins for you to consider adding to your inventory. That’s all from our side—now go ahead and grab yourself a nice, rare skin and start playing. Good luck!
