The term souvenir, when added to an object, often evokes the feeling of rarity and sentimentality, so it’s not hard for players to think in that direction when they hear souvenir skins. Souvenir skins are aptly named owing to them only appearing to commemorate certain events in CS2 that hold a lot of esteem within the community.
Going by the way souvenir skins come about, it’s no surprise that souvenir skins are often quite rare and not that easy to come across. In Counter-Strike there are only 3 types of skins available, that is: Standard, StatTrak, and Souvenir, with Souvenir skins being the main topic for today. Souvenir skins refer to a unique type of skin in the game that only appears during major tournaments. They are identified by a set of stickers as well as some glaringly unique finishing that help distinguish them from other skins.
Souvenir skins only appear in firearms and don’t feature StatTrak versions. Implanted on souvenir weapons are some cool golden stickers meant to highlight:
- The tournament
- The map’s logo
- The teams that played on that specific map
Souvenir skins have some limitations on the market, though, such as not being able to partake in trade-up contracts. They’re also only obtainable through either opening a souvenir case or purchasing one from a willing seller. Just till recently, CS2 didn’t have its own exclusive souvenir until PGL Copenhagen came about bringing with it the first CS2 souvenir case.
Are souvenir skins good investments?
In terms of investment potential, souvenir skins, although sounding great in theory, don’t offer that much in terms of profitability. Their prices don’t vary that greatly when compared to their standard counterparts, making their difference almost negligible. Some souvenir skins have managed to gain value over time, more specifically those that were involved in very special events such as Overpass Olofboost.
Souvenir skins also somewhat lost the exclusivity to the few things that made them special once the game allowed players to purchase gold stickers from events that matched those you’d find on souvenir skins.
Should i buy souvenir cases instead?
Souvenir cases stand to be the better investment when compared to just purchasing skins due to the fact that they’re diminishing in quantity each day. Souvenir cases from notable events, especially those that happened multiple years ago, tend to go up in value owing to their scarcity. In the case of having an older souvenir case, the best bet is to keep it rather than open it, as there is potential for the price to rise in the future.
Souvenir cases, though, do have their drawbacks and in no way guarantee profitability, especially considering how their prices can be affected when valve changes map pools for majors. Souvenirs in general are quite risky and aren’t all that special when compared to their standard counterparts, making their potential to turn a profit very small.