CS:GO is a great game in many ways, offering a free-to-play experience with no pay to win walls. However, players will often buy skins as a way to express themselves. Perhaps you want to combine colors that "match" your play style, in-game role, or simply for appearance. You might use bold colors on your AK-47 to show your potential, or rusty colors on your AWP to show your experience, for example. That said, if you’re looking for high-quality and rare skins, why not go out with a bang?
10. Wild Lotus AK-47 (~$1k to $5k)
A beautiful flower indeed.
Here we see a blooming orange lotus surrounded by branches, trees, and other razzleberry lotuses. Throughout the body lies a sandy color, adding to the overall scenery and depiction of the Lotus flower. Because of its robust colors, unique design, and rarity (covert; fairly high rank), the WL is one of the most expensive Ak-47 skins, not to mention it’s currently the only flower-patterned AK skin. There are no pattern variations, however. By going from factory new to battle-scarred, you can see the primary differences stem from color, ranging from a light to a darker shade.
How to get the WL
Currently, the Steam Market only offers a battle-scarred edition for ~$1,150. Bitskins (third-party source) offers the same version for about ~$800. If you wanted the factory few version, you’re out of luck for now (sorry). Sources say a factory new WL goes up to $5,000 (CS.Money and CS Steam Analyst), last time I checked. There seems to be no active case for it either.
9. Karambit Doppler Ruby (~$3.5k to $6k)
Way to make an appearance.
If you take a closer look, you’ll see some similarities between the Karambit and a tiger’s claw/eagle’s talon. Thanks to its sleek design, and curved blade, the KDR knife is highly sought out, but is rarely seen in-game due to its rarity (Covert). Its inspect animation is quite unique as well, twirling casually around the index finger. Size also seems to be a factor in the price as it's fairly large. Originally, a Karambit Doppler Knife may cost around ~$500-$700 new, but because of variations in color (not necessarily patterns), the bold red color will cost you a couple of grand instead.
How to get the KDR Knife
According to CSGO Steam Analyst and CS.Money, the Ruby version costs about $6,000 factory new. Keep in mind that these prices tend to fluctuate over time, and hence, may significantly drop. BitSkins may be the better option then, offering one at ~$3,600, currently. Alternatively, you can open any of the chroma cases (less than $1) and test your luck there. Don’t forget the key!
8. S.G. Crimson Kimono (~$600 to $7k)
The power is in your hands.
The CK gloves feature a black and red diamond pattern. A blood-red color appears on the fingers whereas a rubbery black color appears at the fingertips. Variations exist, but the colors are still predominantly red and black. Given such vibrant and solid colors, along with the symbolism of red and black (of power, death, fear, and so on), it may be no surprise then why the skin is expensive and remains popular today. By the way, it could just be me, but I am getting Spiderman vibes (aka Miles Morales) from it.
How to get the SGCK
Currently, there are very few factory new versions of the skin. Ranging from battle scarred to new, the SGCK goes anywhere from ~$600 to $7,000. You can try to find it from a third-party source, such as Loot Bear or CS.Money. The Steam Market also offers the skin, but not as factory new (for now). Prices there vary within the allotted range. Lastly, you can try opening a glove case ($.92) or operation hydra case ($7.50).
7. Gungnir (~$2k to $8.5k)
You dare challenge a god?
Modeled after Odin’s Spear, the Gungnir features a pearl blue backdrop with traditional norse ornaments. The barrel, scope, and end also feature ornaments, but with a grayish-black backdrop. In fact, no other AWP skin (at the moment) shares its primary colors. The skin’s rarity rank is Covert, but is no longer available from the Norse Collection. Thanks to its rarity, cost, and unique color combination, the Gungnir remains a popular choice today.
How to get the Gungnir
Currently unavailable on Steam, but if you’re lucky, it may pop in every now and then around the $2,500-$3000 range. Otherwise, you can buy one on CS.Money for about $8,000 to $9,000. This, of course, is for a brand new one. And as always, feel free to check other third-party sources (that are safe).
6. Dragon Lore AWP ($~1.5k to > $10k)
Yep, that’s a real dragon.
The DL features a fire-breathing dragon surrounded by celtic ornaments. The fiery breath is complemented by orange neon specs of flames around the body. Along the outer edges, you can see a black and green checkered pattern. Like the Wild Lotus, it’s a Covert skin, meaning it can only be found in certain cases, rather than getting one in-game. Thus, because of its rarity (and design), the DL is one of the most expensive skins on the market today.
How to get the DL AWP
It’s not even available on Steam (as of now)! You can try BitSkins which sells it for about $2,000 to $8,000, depending on the condition. At one point, it went for $10,000 on CS.Money. DMarket (another third-party source) also sells a few DL AWPs, ranging from $1,500 to $3,000, excluding FN skins. You can also try opening various Cobblestone Collection packages, but keep in mind they’re quite expensive, ranging from ~$300 to $1,100 per case.
5. M4A4: Howl (~$2k to >$10k)
The only discontinued skin in the game.
Originally, the Howl had a darker appearance and a rarity of Covert. However, due to art theft, the color not only changed, but it was also removed from the huntsman collection and subsequent weapon case. As a result, the rarity changed from covert to contraband (discontinued skins; sole rank). Going from a black outline infused with blood red, the Howl now appears as fiery orange with the same black background. All these factors, then contributed to its hefty price.
How to get the Howl
Because it’s discontinued, you have to reach out to the Steam Market or a third-party source, such as Bitskins. As of now, it’s not available on Steam, but Bitskins sells a few for ~ $4,000. Other sites, such as CS.Money sells them for ~ $7,000. Or you might be able to get a field-tested version for ~$2,000 or so.
4. M9 Bayonet G.D. Emerald (~$7k to $12k)
That’s one tough blade.
The Emerald M9 features a vibrant jungle green color with a standard black handle. If you look closely, you can see lines that sort of appear as smoke and light scribbles. The blade is quite sharp, using ridged edges on one side and a pointy top. Because of the Emerald’s striking size and color then, it makes the list not merely as one of the most expensive skins, but also as one of the most highly sought out. It also seems to have a certain shine to it.
How to get the M9 BGDE
You can test your luck using any of the gamma cases ($~.12-.14), but keep in mind you still need a key. Alternatively, you can try buying it on CS.Money, ranging from $7k-$12k. As of now, however, there are no FN versions.
3. BF Doppler Sapphire (~$10k to $15k)
Its got wings.
Modeled originally after a folding knife from the Philippines, the Butterfly Doppler Sapphire offers a small blade with pivoting handles. Thus, you can easily conceal or rapidly deploy it. This variation in particular uses a gradient blue blade with a black/gray handle; a sort of galaxy or Sapphire color that increases its rarity and price. Not to mention how knives are already one of, if not the most iconic weapons in CS:GO. There are other variations, however, that mix or blend the blue color with purple, black, etc., subsequently decreasing the price at times.
How to get the BKDS
Again, your best bet is probably from a third-party source. For example, you might be able to buy one from CS.Money or Loot Bear. Also, depending on the condition, the price will greatly vary. Factory new, for example, will cost the full ~10k-15k. If you wanted to open cases instead, go for the Spectrum ($.45) or Spectrum 2 ($.11) case along with a key. The original Doppler Butterfly Knife ranges from ~$800 to $1,400.
2. SG: Pandora’s Box (~$800 to $25K)
Quite the blade.
Like knives, gloves tend to be popular among users based on their colors and design. The Sports Gloves, for example, may give players an appearance as a professional or highly dedicated rifler, lurker, and so on. For Pandora’s Box, the gloves are heavily adorned with black and purple fabric, essentially split into two. Their rarity is one above Covert, or Gold Star (Melee Weapons). Additionally, it may be hard to find a factory-new pair, thereby increasing its overall value.
How to get the SGPB
As of now, there doesn’t seem to be any new versions of the skin. Even if you did find one, it may go up to $20,000 or more (CS:GO Steam Analyst, at one point). That said, your best bet is to try a third-party source such as BitSkins or CS.Money; going for ~$2,000-$3,000 (Field-Tested). The Steam Market does not show any listings at the moment. You can also test your luck in a glove or operation hydra case for either 1$ or 7$ apiece, along with a key.
1. Case Hardened BG AK-47 (up to ~$30k)
A shine like no other.
Originally, the CHBG used a crystal blue coating infused with a light wooden charcoal color. However, like many other skins, the price increased with certain variations. In this scenario, the bluer the, “better.” And although its nearly impossible to have a 100% blue CH AK-47, the #1 ranked version gets you pretty close. As the video demonstrates, the skin was first traded up and then sold for about $30,000 (with StatTrack), remaining highly coveted not only because of its rarity, but also because of its unique color coat.
How to get the CHB AK-47
Your best bet is to find a third-party source or open a CS:GO Weapon Case (~$28.50) with a key (~$5). However, the chances of getting a CHB with that particular variation are extremely low. You could always buy the original CHB Ak-47 Brand New at ~$180 on the Steam Market.
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