10 most expensive CS:GO skins of all time

Gamers have a bit of an idea about how much rare skins go for in CS:GO, one of the world's oldest and greatest tactical shooter franchises. It was one of the earliest games that came up on the competitive scene. Today it's a behemoth and can be compared to Dota and League of Legends in terms of popularity.

What makes these skins so costly depends on a host of factors, one being that CS:GO has its own marketplace where skins can be traded. These skins serve no other purpose in the game other than a cosmetic upgrade, but players do not only buy them to serve that purpose. Some players purchase these skins to trade and make money off of them.

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Priciest CS:GO skins of all time

As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of factors that can affect the value of a skin in CS:GO, with the major factor being the skin itself and its rarity. Other factors include the skin's condition, which ranges from Factory New to Battle Scarred, with Factory New being the best condition a skin can be found or bought at. Finally, there are add-on stickers that can greatly increase the cost of the item, and the stickers too have an added rarity value and relevance to the weapon skin.

Usually, Factory New skins in CS:GO sell for the most price since they are very rare to get and are in excellent condition. There are many collectors in the world, including content creators, professional gamers, and some who just enjoy collecting skins or trading them for real-world money.

Ranking the 10 most expensive CS:GO skins of all time can be tough since prices often change in the marketplace, and many of these skins can only be found within private inventories. Today, we're only going to look at the base skins without any add-on stickers so that the tracking may be easier.

1) Karambit Case Hardened Blue Gem, Factory New - Over $100,000

A Factory New Karambit Case Hardened in CS:GO can be well worth over $100,000. What makes it unique is the pattern that is etched on each knife. StatTrak™ versions are a bit costlier than the common ones, which sell for around $3000-4000.

This specific knife is called the "Blue Gem" since it's completely blue on the side. The "Blue Gem" Karambit was purchased by Newb Rage a few years ago for nearly $100,000. After that, the price of this skin literally skyrocketed. The owner of this skin was offered $1.4 Million, but he turned it down. If this sale had ever come to fruition, it would have been the costliest CSGO skin ever, without a doubt.

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2) Souvenir AWP Dragon Lore, Factory New - $26,000

The AWP is one of the most overpowered guns in CS:GO in the right hands. It's an iconic weapon, without a doubt, and professional players have pulled off insane plays with it over the years. The AWP or Magnum Sniper Rifle skins are justly priced when compared to other weapons in CS:GO, keeping their popularity in view.

The Dragon Lore skin features a fire-breathing red dragon with a rusted finish that gives it an ancient look. A Factory New one can be worth around $26,000, and with the right stickers, the price can go well over the $50,000 mark.

Souvenir Dragon Lore is one of the rarest AWP skins in CS:GO, which is why it has such a high price. This skin was introduced way back in 2014 as part of the Cobblestone Collection and can only be dropped during a Major Tournament. The drop rate was calculated to be around 0.0004% which is insanely low.

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3) StatTrak™ M9 Bayonet Crimson Web, Factory New - $9300

Next on the list, we have the M9 Bayonet Crimson Web skin. The Crimson Web M9 Bayonet has a semi-gloss coat with a red base color and a spider web pattern on it.

StatTrak™ weapons are more expensive than non-StatTrak™ weapons in CS:GO as they have a counter that shows you the number of kills that have been achieved with the weapon. A StatTrak™ M9 Bayonet Crimson Web Factory New version could be worth over $10,000. It's one of the costliest knife skins on the market.

4) StatTrak™ Karambit Crimson Web, Factory New - $9000

Karambit knives are a fan favorite in CS:GO due to their fantastic animation. Karambit skins are usually costlier than skins of other knives in the game. Buying this Karambit will set you back around $9000 in Factory New condition.

One of the coolest-looking knives in the game, the Crimson Web skin might not look that special at first, but what makes it expensive is that it's a Karambit knife. It has a spider web pattern with a red base coat.

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5) StatTrak™ AK-47 Fire Serpent, Factory New - $8500

Next up, we have this beautiful AK-47 skin on the list. Since the AK-47 is a popular rifle, its skins are very expensive as well. Many professional CS:GO players prefer it as it is a dream for one-tapping opponents with a headshot. The StatTrak™ version of the AK-47 Fire Serpent Factory New is worth about $8500 due to its age and rarity.

This is a really pretty skin and has a fire serpent motif printed on it. It was released as a part of the Bravo Collection in 2014 and is quite evidently one of the costliest AK-47 skins on the market.

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6) StatTrak™ M4A4 Howl, Factory New - $8000

A StatTrak™ M4A4 Howl Factory New skin can sell for around $8000. It's not that far behind the Fire Serpent AK-47 in terms of its price, just like their in-game prices. This features a custom-painted image of a snarling wolf with a black and red finish. It's part of the Huntsman Collection, released in 2014.

The skin isn't actually that rare, but it's a pretty popular one liked by many players. In a well-worn-out condition, this skin can still easily cost quite a lot. The original artist issued a DMCA takedown of the skin, and this drove the price up as it unintentionally became a limited edition skin.

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7) StatTrak™ Five-SeveN Case Hardened, Factory New - $6000

The Five-Seven is a semi-automatic pistol with a good rate of fire and a pretty large magazine size. It's one of the least popular secondary weapons in CS:GO, though. Like Karambit on this list, the Blue Gem version is the most valuable pattern in the Case Hardened series. The Five-Seven Case Hardened Blue Gem has a value of around $6000.

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8) AWP Medusa, Factory New - $6500

Unsurprisingly, we have another AWP skin on the list. The AWP is a valuable gun due to its one-shot capability and the insane plays that professional and casual players can make with it.

The AWP Medusa was launched in 2015 as part of the Gods and Monsters Collection. It features an image of Medusa Gorgon, and the body of the AWP has a blue finish. The field-tested version of the AWP Medusa costs around $2500, while the Factory New variant of the skin can easily cost around $6500.

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9) AK-47 Wild Lotus, Factory New - $4000

The most popular rifle in the game has quite a large number of fans. Owing to this, there's another AK-47 skin on this list.

The Wild Lotus AK-47 features a green base coat with a floral design on top of it. There is an orange lotus spread on the gun's base design. Overall, it's got a pretty unique design and was part of the St. Marc Collection, which was released in 2019. The Wild Lotus AK-47 is a relatively rare skin with an estimated price tag of around $4000.

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10) StatTrak™ Tiger Tooth Butterfly Knife, Factory New - $2500

The Butterfly Knife is a freely pivoting blade, and part of its appeal is the character's animation when equipped in-game.

The Tiger Tooth Butterfly Knife has a golden orange base color and an etched tiger stripe pattern, giving it its name. This was launched in 2017 as part of the Take a trip to the Canals update. It has an approximate value of $2500, but there are a few listings now for $1500.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.