On March 13th, a wealthy Chinese collector made a historic purchase on the CSGO skins market, securing a super-rare AK-47 skin for a whopping $160,000. It may seem like a lot, but this is just one of the most high-value skin sales in the history of the game, and there are even more expensive skins sitting on the market at present.
However, it’s still a monumental transaction, and sales like this are relatively few and far between, reserved almost exclusively for the richest collectors in the world. This CSGO AK-47 skin’s value stands as a firm contender for the top spot, and this may not be the last time it sees the light of day.
One of the Most Valuable Skin Sales Ever
This CSGO AK-47 skin, which is named ‘Wild Lotus’, was added to the game in 2019, and at the time of sale, it boasted ‘Factory New’ condition. There are various condition gradings when it comes to CSGO skins, and the more pristine the skin, the more valuable it’ll tend to be.
It’s estimated that fewer than 3,000 of these skins are currently in circulation.
Bizarrely, it wasn’t the base skin that made this transaction so valuable, as the Wild Lotus AK-47 tends to fetch prices of around $10,000. It’s still a valuable skin, but how did it come to be worth $160,000?
Before the skin was listed (and subsequently sold), the previous owner slapped on four ‘Reason Holo’ stickers, obtained from the 2014 Katowice CSGO Major. This is one of the most legendary esports tournaments in the CSGO scene, and each sticker is worth approximately $40,000.
Yes, really.
Thanks to the value of the base skin, the added stickers, and the fact that the entire ensemble is super-rare and looks fantastic, a wealthy Chinese buyer snapped it up for $160,000 in a public transaction.
However, that’s not the end of the line for this skin. Typically, collectors will loan their skins out to prominent professional players when they take to the stage in the grandest esports tournaments the CSGO ecosystem has to offer. This way, the skin gets exposure, and its value may even increase.
It’s a function that’s driven by Valve’s secure marketplace system, which allows collectors to effectively loan out these skins to whoever they so desire, safe in the knowledge that they’ll have them returned to them once the tournament is over.
Read More: CSGO is constantly smashing its own concurrent player record.
Oh, and There’s a $400,000 AK-47 Skin Up For Sale
While the Wild Lotus skin is a perfect example of the value of CSGO skins, it doesn’t end there. At present, there’s an eye-wateringly rare AK-47 skin up for auction, with the current owner fielding starting bids in the region of $400,000.
In 2021, the current owner of the skin, a collector named ‘Luksusbums’, bought it for around $150,000. It’s a hyper-rare CSGO AK-47 skin – not only is it the number-one-rated skin of its kind in the game, but it also boasts four ‘Titan Holo’ stickers, which are statistically the most valuable stickers in CSGO.
Each one of these stickers has a $60,000 value.
It doesn’t end there – this AK-47 skin is also ‘StatTrak’ Minimal Wear, and there are only twelve of those in existence. This one also has the lowest ‘float number’ of all of them, meaning it has seen the least amount of use.
Incredibly, this collector also boasts ownership of a Blue Gem Karambit knife skin, which is estimated to be the most expensive CSGO skin in the world, being as it is a one-of-a-kind skin. Recently, Luksusbums turned down an offer of $1.5 million for the knife skin.
In 2018, the CSGO skins market was estimated to be worth around $1.3 billion – and that value has risen sharply since then.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the PS5 Pro that’s in development
