Weapon cases
Cases contain skins from a specific collection plus a small chance of a rare special item such as a knife or gloves. You need a key to open them. Opening cases is a gamble – the expected value is usually lower than the cost. If you want a specific skin, buying it directly is almost always cheaper.
Collections and map collections
Every skin belongs to a collection. Some come from cases, others from operations, souvenir packages or map collections. Collection membership matters for trade-up contracts. The skin database shows which collection an item belongs to.
Operations
Operations introduce new missions, agents and collections for a limited time. When an operation ends, its exclusive items stop dropping, which can support prices. Agents from Shattered Web and later operations are a good example.
Souvenir packages
Souvenir packages are tied to Major tournaments and give skins with tournament stickers already applied. They are a separate source of rare items for collectors. Read StatTrak vs Souvenir to understand the difference.
Trade-up contracts
Ten skins of one rarity can be exchanged for one of the next rarity from the same collections. Output float follows input floats, which is how traders craft low-float items. Trade-ups cannot produce knives or gloves.
Sources and further reading
Ready to sell?
Load your inventory and see your price instantly.