I’ve been trying to guess the rarity of some CS2 skins just based on visuals, but sometimes I get it completely wrong. Like, a skin that looks common turns out to be expensive. Is there a trick or resource that explains what actually makes a skin rare or valuable?

I used to think flashier meant rarer, but that’s not always the case.

It’s a common mistake to judge rarity by appearance alone. Some of the plainest-looking skins are insanely rare because of their origin, limited drops, or float values. A good place to get clarity on this is cs2 wiki. They break down each skin by collection, drop chance, and condition range — and that info is gold when you’re trying to understand why something costs more. They also explain wear levels and patterns, which are often what drive price, not the skin design itself. I was shocked to learn how many “basic” skins are high-tier because of factory-new exclusivity or limited case availability. This resource gave me a better eye for value beyond just visuals.