In the CS2 skin trade, there's one crucial parameter. It's not uncommon, and it's a design feature. It's the float value, which determines a skin's wear and tear, its visual appeal. And it's this parameter that drives the prices of identical skins to extremes. Two identical skins can cost as much as a cheap hot dog or as much as a dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The magic lies in the community's appreciation of visually new and worn skins.
From Zero to One: Strict Rules of Wear
Every skin is assigned a number between 0.00 and 1.00 upon release. A skin with a value of 0.00 looks perfect. A skin with a value of 1.00 looks very worn. Furthermore, the float value correlates with five skin wear gradations: Factory New (FN), Minimal Wear (MW), Field-Tested (FT), Well-Worn (WW), and Battle-Scarred (BS).
Each gradation has its own clear numerical boundaries. The most heated price battles occur at the boundary between "new" and "near new." The Minimal Wear float range is between 0.07 and 0.15. Anything less than 0.07 enters Factory New territory, where the price begins to skyrocket. Differences of a few hundredths of a percent can create hundreds and thousands of dollars in price differences. Here's what the relationship between float value and wear level looks like in CS2:
- Factory New (0.00-0.07);
- Minimal Wear (0.07-0.15);
- Field-Tested (0.15-0.38);
- Well-Worn (0.38-0.45);
- Battle-Scarred (0.45-1.00).
Pricing Skins with Different Wear Levels
Let's take any popular, expensive skin. Let's say it's AK-47 | Bloodsport in Field-Tested condition. Bloodsport in Field-Tested condition costs about $142. The same skin in Minimal Wear costs about $163. Things get even more interesting. In Factory New condition, AK-47 | Bloodsport costs about $228. Interestingly, this skin is completely unavailable in Battle-Scarred condition, but as a rule, the price of a skin in Battle-Scarred condition is less than the price of a Well-Worn version.
But even among CS2 skins with perfect visuals, there is a hierarchy. Collectors hunt for a "float value of zero." For example, a skin with a float value of 0.01 will be several times more expensive than one with a float value of 0.06, even though both are in the Factory New category. Not everyone will notice the difference visually, but status and price are based solely on numbers. It's about owning not just a good product, but the best.
Why Do Players Hunt for Skins With Low Float Values?
This excitement, driven by the price differential between CS2 skins, has given rise to special rituals. Upon receiving a skin from a case, the first thing a player does is go to a special website to check its exact float. This is because a skin with a low float is like a lucky lottery ticket. You can quickly resell it and use the proceeds to buy something simpler, leaving yourself a sizable profit. Marketplaces have long since implemented filters based on wear, turning the hunt for the perfect item into a chore.
Float Value of Skins With History
On old and rare CS2 skins, the effect associated with float value is multiplied. The fewer the total number of copies, the more valuable each one in pristine condition is. Finding a five-year-old rifle with a float value close to zero is like finding a gold nugget. The supply of such CS2 items is practically zero, but demand is always there. In this environment, price ceases to be logical. It is determined by an auction battle between two collectors, where the goal is not saving money, but winning. The wear value becomes the main argument in their dispute.
Is it worth chasing CS2 skins with low float values? If you don't have extra cash, definitely not. This is an investment for those who are already in the know and willing to take risks. On the one hand, such a skin will always be valuable and easier to sell. On the other hand, you'll have to pay a significant premium for it right now. The difference between 0.01 and 0.03 float values is imperceptible in-game, but in terms of money, it's huge.
Conclusion
Skin wear ranges aren't just words describing virtual items. They're strict mathematical boundaries that sort skins into cheap and expensive. The system is simple: the closer the number is to zero, the higher the price. It doesn't matter whether the difference is visible to the naked eye. What matters is that the market has agreed to value this difference. Hunting for low-grade skins is hunting for status. And status in the world of collectors always costs a lot of money. This is its price, expressed in numbers from zero to one.