Counter-Strike is a longstanding title that has maintained and gained popularity over its long life span. Between becoming an “OG” esports title, establishing a competitive scene and hordes of active players, Counter-Strike weapons skins have become a true showcase of value and prestige. Skins in CS2 open up the community to a whole slew of betting and gambling opportunities. If just playing CS2 isn’t for you, there is still the avenue of skins trading to explore.

But where should you actually take part in this? We’re going to talk you through why some of these skins are so expensive, and discuss some of the best CS2 trading sites to help you make informed decisions when selling your in-game items.

CS2 Trading Sites

CS2 Skin Trading – Know the Basics

CS2 offers a massive variation in skins for you to trade. Their value depends on various factors, some internal and some external. Some of the rarest and most expensive CS skins fetch prices up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and plenty of activity is going on daily in the world of skin trading.

But before you start trading up, let’s go over the basics of skin worth and what sets the price. First up, every single skin in the game will come in different conditions.

  • Factory New
  • Minimal Wear
  • Field-Tested
  • Well-Worn
  • Battle-Scarred

Their price will adhere to the wear and tear of skins in most cases, except for extremely rare skins, in which case wear and tear can actually add to the value. On top of that, there are differences in skins, and not every skin will be the same. There are varying degrees of how much the skin will change by conditions. This increases the value of those that look cool because of how unique they are. It will be important to understand the differences in these different possibilities.

Another thing to take note of is the rarity of the skins. Each CS2 skin case will dispense a skin that varies based on the rarity of the items. Here is a list showing the rarity from least rare to most rare.

  • White (Common)
  • Light blue (Uncommon)
  • Darker blue (Rare)
  • Purple (Mythical)
  • Pink (Legendary)
  • Red (Ancient)
  • Gold (Exceedingly Rare)
  • Contraband (discontinued)

Once you have an understanding of which items drop more frequently, it will be easier to know the true value of the skins. After a while, you will begin to notice which skins are traded and the amounts they are exchanged for.

Let’s say you got a skin you want to trade, or you were gifted a skin you would like to get rid of. How do you go about making your first trade?

Read also: How to Get CS2 Cases: Prize After Prize!

Best CS2 Trading Sites

Trading can be a simple case of two people wanting an even trade, or it could be one person seeing value in an item and trying to get it for less than it is worth. You’ll have to be on your toes and always pay attention to trade offers made to you.

After you know the worth of your skins, it’s time to find a suitable place to trade them. Plenty of websites offer skin trading services, and it is hard to know which one to choose. Sites like CS.Money or Tradeit.gg are some of the most widely used, but there are plenty of new sites that offer better terms.

Even the best CS2 trading sites take a commission on all sales. If you’re looking for the best sites to trade CS2 skins, this should be one big factor in your decision. For each CS2 skins trading site, you’ll have to do some research, as the rates can be so different across the board. It’s important to make sure that you’re using reputable sites, as there are no shortage of scammers looking to steal your items. Here are a few of the best CS2 trading sites you should know about:

  • CS.Money
  • Tradeit.gg
  • Skinport
  • DMARKET
  • BitSkins
  • SkinsMonkey

Again, while we can recommend these sites, it’s always worth doing your own research about each one before choosing where to trade CS2 skins. The best CS2 trading site for me might not be the best one for you, and it’s important to remember that. Each one has its own pros and cons, so only you can weigh up how important each one is to you.

How to trade skins in CS2

Alternatively, you can avert CS2 skins trading sites altogether and decide to trade your items yourself. This comes with its own risks, including the much higher possibility of being scammed. If you want to trade CS2 skins with friends, make sure you know them well enough that you can trust them. Even then, I’d be wary of avoiding the best CS2 trading sites, but no one can stop you.

Can you trade CS skins with a VAC ban?

If you’re wondering how to trade CS skins with a VAC ban, I’m afraid I have some bad news. When your account has a VAC ban or trade ban active, your items are bound to your account, meaning you’re stuck with them until the ban expires. Some VAC bans never expire, which means you’ll have these Counter-Strike skins forever. Because VAC bans stop you from playing online, they’re pretty much worthless, but that’s the obvious risk you take when using expensive CS2 skins on an account while cheating. Duh.

Read next: The Cheapest CS2 Knife: Top 3 Cheapest Knives in Counter-Strike