Just like in real life, when trying to get the most out of a market, you need to analyze a lot of factors, such as time, volatility, external factors, events, and so on and so on. The CS2 markets aren’t any different, with a lot of similar factors helping determine when it’s best to invest in a skin or case. Today, we’ll try and help you figure this out by explaining different factors and how they may affect the markets.
In digital markets such as video game marketplaces, the principles of supply and demand greatly contribute to the pricing of items, as things like production costs are never factored in owing to the digital nature of the goods. The developers have a huge part to play in the moderation of the markets, as they’re the ones who set initial prices and dictate the number in supply on the market. However, after the developers release a skin, the control is out of their hands and the market takes its course, which is where numerous factors come into play.
Factors that may affect the price of skins and when to buy
Appearance
The first factor that greatly affects how a skin performs on the market is how good it looks. This can include many factors, such as color choice, details, Easter eggs, rarity, and animations. It’s hard to narrow down a format when it comes to appearance as it is highly subjective, but for best results, look for the most unique-looking ones, especially after a new drop. Purchasing a unique-looking skin early is a great way of securing one before the price skyrockets.
Tournaments and Events
Events within the CS2 community tend to evoke a lot of activity in the space that equally translates into the markets. The more people play the game in the lead-up to a tournament, the more activity is seen within the market. There are also drops that usually occur surrounding events, which can help influence the market as well. To capitalize on the buzz surrounding events, it is advised to look into buying skins/cases two weeks to a month before or after an event, as that is where there’s the most activity.
Holidays
It’s no surprise that CS2 recovers much of its player base during holidays. During this time, a lot of players have the much-needed free time to play the game, which in turn also brings some much-needed activity into the markets. It is advised to look into buying items around the time holidays are coming to an end, as that is when most people reconsider their inventory and begin to offload some items.
New Skins and Updates
There are no other factors that have ripple effects on the market, much like new skins or updates being revealed. These have such a massive effect on the market due to them soaking up all the available hype and stealing all the attention from other items, lowering their prices, and making them great purchase options. A strategy that clashes with the one we mentioned early on is keeping an eye on new skin collections with the intention of capitalizing on fluctuating items instead of focusing on the new items themselves.
So there you go. These are just a few factors to look out for that can affect the prices of items on the market and can help you make a decision on when to buy a skin or case.