Unusual skins and collector stories
Contraband, Blue Gems, Black Pearl and souvenirs: four different reasons to look beyond a skin’s name.
Catalog art: not the owner’s item, exact wear, stickers or a particular pattern seed.
Howl
Normal · Well-Worn
In 2014 Valve replaced the artwork, assigned Contraband rarity and removed Howl from case drops.
Case Hardened
Normal · Battle-Scarred
Blue Gem is a particular pattern, not every Case Hardened. This image and Steam reference do not represent #661.
Doppler · Black Pearl
Normal · Factory New
A separate Doppler finish: Black Pearl. A generic Doppler price cannot establish its value.
Dragon Lore
Souvenir · Field-Tested
Souvenir and normal Dragon Lore are separate versions. Inspect the actual stickers and wear; the catalog image does not reproduce a specific craft.
Saved in this browser. Export your sets from the loadout editor for a backup.
How these picks work
A finish, exterior, pattern and sticker craft describe different properties. Save a design here; inspect the exact item to check the properties a seller claims.
Steam references use the shortest available sales period: 24 hours, 7 or 30 days. Where Steam has no quote, skins use the lowest recorded USD listing from public marketplaces. The price type and check date appear beside each quote. Patterns, stickers and the owner’s exact item are not valued.
Try another direction
Expensive skins: a dream collection
Nine finishes for a collector wishlist, led by AWP | Dragon Lore, AK-47 | Wild Lotus and M4A4 | Howl. Compare their artwork and weapon roles, then save the pieces you would actually want together in one dream loadout.
Neymar’s collector picks
Build a wishlist around three striking rifles: StatTrak™ M4A4 | Howl, AK-47 | Wild Lotus and AWP | Gungnir. Compare the fiery red, floral green and icy blue designs before exploring the rest of the recorded inventory.
Budget AWP skins
Compare AWP designs within $5, $10 or $20. Switch the budget to see which exact conditions qualify.