BY JASON MONROE: Trading skins in CS:GO can be lucrative, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing. Being the seasoned gambler on the Grown Gaming team, leave it to me to show you the way to take your chances on the skins market! CS:GO skin trading has never been so easy, especially when you know which of the best CSGO trading sites to go to. Probably.
How much to invest
You’ve got to speculate to accumulate, right? Well, sort of. If you’re someone who is low on funds, don’t break the bank on skin trading in CS:GO – you have to be sensible and only play with what you can reasonably afford to lose. You’ll soon start building up a decent inventory and before you know it, you’ll be playing in the big leagues.
Some sites recommend having a few hundred dollars worth of inventory. I started with twenty bucks and earned enough from keys to pick up a 2080 graphics card last year from the profits.
I started small and traded more common skins. The profit margins were minimal but started adding up. Before you know it, you’ll have doubled your money.
Study the market
Market research is exceptionally important. Look at how much items cost and how those prices have varied – are price increases (or decreases) a trend or a blip? You should also peruse Reddit and forums to see which items are growing in popularity and look to get a piece of the pie yourself.
You should also play CS:GO.
Who said business isn’t fun? Playing the game is important, because you’ll immerse yourself in the culture of the community. This could give a valuable insight into the thought process of your target market, making your purchasing (and selling) decisions that much less risky.
Get Rep
‘Rep’ is important. It’s basically customer feedback, with people vouching for your reliability and service after doing business with you.
You’ll want to make sure that you have lots of hours on your in-game account and join Steam Communities like CS:GO Rep, where you should set up a thread, requesting that people leave a comment whenever you trade with them.
Be safe
The same goes for trading yourself – my policy is to avoid accounts with low rep. I’ve been burned too many times. Play it safe.
Profit
The name of the game is simple – pay less for your CS:GO skins and items than you sell them for. Even paying slightly less than market value and selling for market value will give a small profit, which adds up quickly. You can invest that money into more expensive items and start building a formidable portfolio.
Have fun
People who let trading in CS:GO stress them out are sure to get burned out. If you make susre that you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll stick with the game and your new business for longer, which will give you the opportunity to establish yourself in the market. Don’t let it wear you down, and have fun with it.
