Fade percentage: only 100% pays (and Acid Fade is the exception)
On Fade skins, every copy has a "fade percentage": the higher it is, the more of the gun is covered by the purple, pink and yellow gradient. Many listings highlight a "97%" or "99%" to justify a higher price. We checked on real sales whether buyers actually pay that premium.
The short answer: only 100% pays
- Fade: from 80% to 99.9%, a copy sells at the usual price for its skin and float. Only a 100% fade sells for more: about ×1.36.
- Amber Fade (R8 Revolver): same finding, ×1.46 at 100%, nothing measurable below.
- Acid Fade (SSG 08): the exception. The percentage matters a lot: ×2.4 between 98 and 99.9%, and about ×20 at 100% (on very few sales, see below).
In other words: paying much more for a 98% Fade than for a 90% Fade isn't backed by sales. A true 100% is.
How we measured it
- The data: real sales recorded on CSFloat, a large marketplace where each sale shows the float, the pattern (seed) and the stickers. We kept only sales without stickers, to measure the effect of the fade alone. Measured on October 25, 2026.
- The calculation: for each sale, we divide the price paid by the price CSFloat predicts for that skin at that float. A ratio of 1.00 means "sold at the normal price", 1.36 means "sold 36% higher".
- The fade percentage of each copy is computed from its seed, using a public, freely licensed table (chescos' calculator, MIT license).
The results
| Finish | Sales measured | 80 to 95% | 95 to 98% | 98 to 99.9% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fade | 2,262 | ×0.99 to 1.00 | ×0.99 to 1.00 | ×0.99 to 1.00 | ×1.36 (13 sales) |
| Amber Fade (R8 Revolver) | 254 | no premium | no premium | no premium | ×1.46 (12 sales) |
| Acid Fade (SSG 08) | 161 | — | ×1.08 | ×2.4 | ≈ ×20 (5 sales) |
A first measurement on October 18, 2026, on 14 Fade skins (knives included, 40 to 120 sales each), pointed the same way: the ratio stayed close to 1.00 in every bracket, at most 1.05 to 1.11 above 98% on a few skins.
Why Fade and Acid Fade behave differently
On Fade, CSFloat's predicted price already accounts for the percentage, and the premium stays small up to 100%. On Acid Fade, that predicted price ignores the percentage, and the rare 100% copies are in high demand.
The 100% seeds
The 100% fade isn't the same seed on every gun. According to the sources we cross-checked (FragPrice knowledge base, October 2026):
| Weapon | 100% fade seed |
|---|---|
| Most Fade guns and knives | 763 |
| AWP, Karambit, Talon Knife | 412 |
| M4A1-S | 374 |
| MP7 | 80 |
| SSG 08 Acid Fade | 576 |
In our own sales, these seeds sell for much more: MP7 Fade #80 about ×5, SSG 08 Acid Fade #576 about ×26.
The limits
- The 100% samples are small: 13 sales for Fade, 12 for Amber Fade, only 5 for Acid Fade. The ×20 on Acid Fade is a strong hint, not a rule.
- These are CSFloat sales. Other marketplaces may show slightly different gaps.
- Each sale is its own case: a buyer in a hurry may pay more, a seller in a hurry may accept less.
What it means for you
- When buying: on a Fade, don't pay a big premium for a high percentage, unless it's a true 100%. Check the listing's seed.
- When selling: if your Acid Fade is above 98%, don't sell it at the lowest listed price; look at sales at that percentage first.
- The inventory calculator shows the fade percentage of every copy that has one.
FAQ
Is a 99% Fade worth more than a 90% Fade?
Not in our data. Between 80 and 99.9%, Fade sales happen at the usual price for the skin and its float. Only 100% sells for more (about ×1.36).
Why is Acid Fade different?
Because CSFloat's reference price doesn't account for the acid fade percentage, and 100% copies are very rare. Out of our 161 sales, those between 98 and 99.9% sell for about 2.4 times more, and the 5 sales at 100% for about 20 times more.
Where can I see my skin's fade percentage?
In our inventory calculator, which shows it on every Fade copy based on its seed.
Sources
- Real CSFloat sales (without stickers), analyzed by FragPrice on October 25, 2026; first measurement on October 18, 2026.
- Fade percentage table (chescos/csgo-fade-percentage-calculator, MIT)
- Pattern (seed) guide