CSGO Trade Up Contracts
Here, we will look at everything you need to know about CSGO weapon skins trade up contracts. We will look at the basics of a trade-up contract all the way through to information that is for more advanced players.
Trade Ups: The Basics
Every single weapon skin out there is assigned two values – a quality (rarity) value and an exterior float value. Here we will look at the float value ranges:
- Skin Condition Float Range
- Factory New 0.00-0.07
- Minimal Wear 0.07-0.15
- Field tested 0.15-0.38
- Well Worn 0.38-0.45
- Battle scarred 0.45-1.oo
How to Do a CSGO Trade Up Contract
If you do want to do a trade-up contract then you will need 10 skins that are all the same quality in order to trade up for one skin of the next-level quality. So, you would need 10 battle-scarred skins to get one well-worn skin. It doesn’t matter which inputs you use from the same collection – the only important thing is that they are all of the same quality. Ideally, you choose the inputs that cost less.
It’s also worth noting that you can’t perform a trade-up contract with 10 covert skins – as these are the skins of the highest quality.
Weapon Skin Floats
The float value of whatever skin you get is a direct result of the skins used as inputs. There are tools available to use that will let you see every single skin in all collections – along with their possible float values. If the skin that you are after has a normal float value (ranging between 0-1) then if the average floats of your 10 trade skins are below 0.07 then this will result in a Brand new, factory new skin. However, you needn’t have 10 factory new skins to get a new float. You could include small wear and tear (minimal wear) skins – or even, in rare cases, Field-Tested skins, as long as the average float calculates to under 0.07.
Weapons Skins with Varied Float Ranges
There are a number of skins that have a float value where the minimum float value possible is greater than zero, whereas there are others that have values where the maximum possible is below 1. In fact, some skins have both. The way to calculate them, however, is very similar. Here we will look at two separate examples – one where the max float is below one and the other where the min and max floats are different:
If you want to calculate that average is this:
(Desired – min. possible)/ (max possible – min possible)
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(Desired simply refers to the maximum float value range of the skin condition that you are after – ie 0.07 for factory-new skins)
Example 1:
- The Aug Syd Mead from Gamma 2 Case – max float value 0.8o and min float value 0.00.
Therefore, the calculation to get the average float required for brand factory new is:
(0.07-0.00)/(0.80-0.00) = 0.0875
So, you will only need an average skin float under 0.0875 to get a Factory new Aug skin.
Example 2:
- AK-47 Asiimov – max float value 0.70 and min float value 0.05
Therefore the calculation to get the average float required for brand factory new is:
(o.o7 – 0.05)/(0.7 – 0.5) = 0.03077
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The reason that this is so much lower than the first example is that this is a more expensive skin when Factory New. These skins are also known to scratch easily, so people will pay more for a better and newer looking skin.
Profitable Trade Ups Outcomes
To give an example of a profitable trade up, we can look at the Gamma 2 case, which is fairly standard. If you have ten restricted quality skins from this collection and are looking to trade up with them, then there are three possible outcomes as there are three classified skins in the collection. You have exactly one-third of a chance (33.3%) of getting any one of these three skins, which is totally random.
Should you want to trade up to a covert skin from this collection by using 10 classified skins that also come from this collection then you have a 50/50 chance of either getting the Famas or AK. Again, this is completely random.
How to Perform a Basic CSGO Trade Up
There are a number of excellent tools to test out different trade up contracts. The csgo.exchange tool, for example, is a great tool to test out trade-ups. If you do use this tool, remember to use the ‘New Theory’ formula to calculate the odds correctly. However, when you understand for yourself how trade-ups work, you can do it yourself on a spreadsheet. Not all of these tools are affiliated with Valve Corp, so it’s good to see which one works for you best.
Let’s take a look at what a basic trade up from restricted to classified looks like. Please be aware that this is not a profitable trade up and remember that before you buy CSGO skins for the trade up, you should always check the float ranges for all of your potential outcomes.
- You can use whatever combination of restricted skins you want.
- There may be some skins that are cheaper with minimal wear, which you need to consider when choosing which inputs you purchase.
- For skins in the Gamma 2 collection, only two of the three classified skins have been given a normal float range (the MP9 and Tec 9)
- The Aug float range is non -normal (as calculated previously)
Given this, we could achieve all factory new outcomes even when mixing in 4 minimal wear skins – because in this case, the average float works out to be below 0.07. This is possible with even more Minimal Wear skins, as long as the average float value range stays below 0.07.
If you get either MP 9 or Tec – then the float that you get will be the same as the average float values of your input skins. However, the float for the Aud will be slightly below this because it has a max float that is below 1
How To Manipulate Outcomes
If you mix skins that come from different collections then this will alter the number of potential outcomes available. If you take one collection and, for example, add a skin from the Gamma 2 collection, or a P2000 Amber Fade then there would be more outcomes possible. The number of extra outcomes depends on the number of possible outcomes from the extra skin.
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This allows you to manipulate trade-ups to work in your favor. You might want to do this if the skin you use to manipulate the trade-up is a lower value than the other inputs and has fewer outputs.
However, mixing can also be detrimental. If the result you desire has just one outcome but the cheap inputs you added have more outcomes then you will have less chance of getting what it is you want.
Understanding the Expected Value
The reason most people do trade-ups is to make a profit. To do this, you will need to understand what the Expected Value concept is. If a trade-up is worthwhile, then the expected value (EV) should be higher than the cost of doing it. In order to calculate your EV, you need to multiply the probability of an event by the amount you expect to get from it.
Example:
If you use a Gamma 2 classified trade up as an example, the EV might be:
- $9.07 x 33% + $7.95 x 33% + $8.31 x 33%) = $8.44
- You then need to take into account the Steam Market tax which is about 13% which you need to pay if you sell your result on the steam community market
- So, the EV after tax will be
The after-tax EV of this trade up is roughly ($8.44 * 0.87)= $7.34. For this trade up to be worth doing, the cost of all 10 inputs would need to be less than $7.34.
Mixing in cheap filler skins would also change the EV since the outcome you could get from using one of those is often very cheap. The reason that you would use filler skins is if you can get a higher profit from (EV – cost) than by using just 10 skins purely from the collection you want. If you do use filler skins, don’t forget to add them into the EV equation along with the probability of getting a skin from that collection.
How to Find Trade-Ups
There are lots of youtube videos to help you get started with ideas for trade-ups. Now that you know how to use the formula to help you calculate the floats you need, you can also double-check these for yourself. Remember, the more people that use the trade up, the less profitable it becomes.
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How to Use a Buy Order
Some people place a buy order to get skins cheaper. However, it isn’t guaranteed that the float value will be as low as you’re looking for. Having said that, you can sell them back on the community afterwards in this case – but bear in mind that because of the Steam tax, you might lose a few cents.
If you buy directly from the markets then you will also be able to choose the floats of the skins as well. If you don’t want to boot up the game and click ‘inspect’ on every skin to find the perfect float, then you can find extensions for certain web browsers that will automatically show up the skin’s float.
Trade-Up FAQs
How to Trade Up CSGO?
Trading up in CSGO requires you to have 10 skins (or items) all with a float value that puts them in the same category. You can then trade up for skin of a higher level. There are different probabilities and outcomes, so you will need to work out the value of the trade and the possible outcomes if you want to make a profit from your trade-ups. Read the guide in full to see how to do this.
How to Trade Up CSGO Skins?
Skins are valued in two ways – their rarity and their float value. In order to trade up, you need to make sure that the ten skins that you wish to trade up are all the same value. You can then trade up to the next highest level. There are many things to take into account when trading up – most importantly, the expected value if you are looking to make a profit in the long term. Our guide helps you to understand how to calculate expected value and how to successfully trade up for profit
CSGO: How to Trade Up Knives?
Unfortunately not every weapon is eligible for a trade-up contract. Despite common belief, you will not be able to trade Red Covert weapon skins for knives. Weapons that you cannot use in the trade-up contract include:
- Knives
- Souvenir weapons skins
- Red Covers weapon skins (Ancient)
- Immortal (light brown) contraband weapon skins
- Weapon skins from one grade of a collection that doesn’t have the next highest grade skin available.
What are Storage Units?
Storage units are in-game items that you can use to organize your CSGO inventory. One of these units adds an extra 1,000 item capacity to your inventory. These are very popular for players looking to build up their CSGO weapons and skins collections.