The Most Expensive CS2 Skins
At the very top of the CS2 market, skins trade for the price of a house. These are the weapon skins that always sit at the peak, and what makes them so rare.
Skins at the top of the market
| Skin | Why it's so pricey |
|---|---|
| AWP | Dragon Lore (esp. Souvenir, Cologne 2014) | Cobblestone Collection only; souvenir FN copies are extremely rare |
| AK-47 | Case Hardened (blue gem, e.g. pattern #661) | One-in-a-thousand patterns with a fully blue top |
| M4A4 | Howl | Contraband: no new copies can ever appear |
| AWP | Gungnir | Norse Collection, only from rare drops/souvenirs |
| AK-47 | Wild Lotus | St. Marc Collection; very low supply |
| AWP | Medusa | Gods and Monsters Collection; low supply |
| AK-47 | Gold Arabesque | Ancient Collection; rare Covert |
| M4A1-S | Welcome to the Jungle | St. Marc Collection; low supply |
| Crafts with Katowice 2014 holo stickers | Stickers no longer produced; "4x iBUYPOWER Holo" crafts are legendary |
Among knives and gloves, the top is held by blue gem Karambits and Doppler jackpot phases. See most expensive CS2 knives. Sport Gloves such as Pandora's Box and Vice are also regularly among the priciest gloves.
What they have in common
- Frozen or tiny supply: collections no longer dropping, contraband status, or one-in-a-thousand patterns.
- Top condition: Factory New, often with a very low float.
- History: souvenirs from famous matches and tournament stickers from early majors.
- Collector demand that doesn't depend on in-game use.
More on the economics: why CS2 skins are so expensive.
Not on a collector budget?
Most players get better-looking skins for less with a trade up contract: ten cheap skins in, one better skin out. Test contracts with live prices in the CS2 trade up calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive skin in CS2?
The priciest items are usually one-of-a-kind: top-pattern Case Hardened AK-47s and Karambits, Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore from Cologne 2014, and weapons with rare Katowice 2014 stickers. Reported sales for the very top items run into six and seven figures.
Why is the AWP Dragon Lore so expensive?
It came only from the Cobblestone Collection, which dropped from souvenir packages and in-game drops and was never in a case. The souvenir versions from Cologne 2014 are especially scarce.
Why is the M4A4 Howl special?
The Howl was reclassified as 'Contraband' after a copyright dispute over its artwork, so no new copies can ever be created.