21 year old makes 12k/day selling CS:GO skins

27 points by akimc 11 years ago | 11 comments

Original article link : http://www.lesaffaires.com/blogues/julien-brault/ce-montrealais-de-21-ans-fait-12-000--par-jour-en-vendant-des-fusils-virtuels/579654?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=16-06-2015&utm_campaign=montrealais-12000-dollars-par-jour

The text is in french thoses are the highlights of it :

* Artur Minacov 21 co-founder from Montreal

* website : OPSkins

* 120 000$/day selling volume takes a 10% cut -> 12 000$ / day

* The website is selling Counter Strike GO skins which are only a design for a gun no added value

* 340 000 users plan to get all of the 6.5 millions users of CS:GO

* He will sponsor the next ESWC for a total of 100k$

* Dropout from Cegep (college) at 19 years old

* Failed a few startups (2) before OPSkins

* Refused VC funding (6% for 50k)

Sorry if there is mistake it is a bit late and not my native language.

Yadi 11 years ago |

Kudos, though as Flammy pointed out, this could become very obscure sort of niche if the game changes something or decides to move some option around.

I had a few friends on this game called APB (All Points Bullet In), These guys were making legit money selling MOD cars, guns and tattoo designs.

However, in their case, they became an actual known group that some of their design and tattoo's were sold outside of the game.

No VC money, no nothing, just a few 17 years olds from Chicago and Poland making around 5k each in a month to create this whole design entity for unique products. + Their YouTube channel doing videos tutorials for the game.

I can't really link to them or anything, due to some of their restrictions, but that's just another way similar to this person doing the CS:GO thing and turning it into a business.

akimc 11 years ago | |

The difference here is that he created a marketplace, he doesn't sell directly skins that he made or mod.

It is impressive to see that kind of money for virtual goods in my opinion.

Yadi 11 years ago | | |

Oh, that is interesting!

And yes, it's pretty cool tying a part of that virtual world to real money in this way.

Flammy 11 years ago |

Biggest issue in this business is minimal control.

Accounts get banned? Trades get reversed? Hackers using your site to liquidate game items?

Outta luck.

bbcbasic 11 years ago | |

Still if the party only lasts a year, it is good going. Just gotta make sure you save and invest it.

akimc 11 years ago | |

Exactly this is the issue with this kind of business !

They were actually banned by Steam and got unban thats what I saw on the facebook of the founder.

shash7 11 years ago |

21 year old playing CS:GO a day before his uni exams(that's me)

justinclift 11 years ago |

Looking at the OPSkins website (https://opskins.com), they have authentication setup so people can login using their Steam account.

I'm interested in creating a web app that allows auth via Steam account too, but I'm not seeing any docs about how to make that happen.

Anyone know how that's done?

[follow up edit] This seems to be it → https://steamcommunity.com/dev

Looks like there's a Steam Web API that allow auth via Steam OpenID. Likely workable. :D

brador 11 years ago |

Refused VC funding or refused VC funding?

akimc 11 years ago | |

In the articles it says that he doesn't need money this is why he refused to give 6% for 50k$.

charlesdm 11 years ago | | |

Who cares about $50k when pulling in $12k a day?