Top 10 Most Expensive TF2 Skins on the Market
Most items in Team Fortress 2 are pretty cheap, so you can create a wonderful collection and express your personality with no big expenses. Still, there are some extremely rare and therefore expensive TF2 items. They are unique and perfectly convey the owner’s status in the community.
In this article on DMarket Blog, we list the most expensive TF2 items and explain why people are ready to pay thousands of dollars for them.
What Makes These Items Valuable?
The collectible rarity is the main reason for such high prices. The value is derived from the limited edition of some items and the combination with unique particle effects.
- Limited edition: Some TF2 items were released in very limited numbers. For example, they were part of a promo campaign around the release of another game. Or, they were available around a specific game event.
- Hard to obtain items are not necessarily part of limited editions but they are still extremely rare. The Golden Frying Pan is an ultra-rare random drop; you will be very lucky to receive one. Items of the Collector’s quality require 200 copies to craft one. Such situations directly affect the price.
- Unique effects: In Team Fortress 2, it is possible to apply paints, enhancements, and other effects on cosmetic items. Some of them are very rare, like Burning Flames or Sunbeams, which have a 1% drop rate from crates. Combinations of unique items and effects significantly boost the price.
- Item quality can add extra value. This factor is very important for all TF2 items you can buy on the market. he Unusual quality makes the most expensive and unique Team Fortress 2 hats.
Ultimately, the collectible value causes substantial price spikes. These items are considered the best long-term investment material.
If you decide to appear with them in a match, make sure you know how to play TF2. Good items should come with good skills!
The Most Expensive TF2 Items
It’s time to list the rarest and the most valuable items in TF2. In this section, you’ll also find some details on the reasons for their high price.
Unusual Burning Flames Hat of Undeniable Wealth and Respect (H.O.U.W.A.R)
- Price: $30,000 – $35,000+
This hat has been made in the form of a grey octopus holding a small treasure chest. The creature has animation effects in Team Fortress 2: the octopus looks around and moves its tentacles.
H.O.U.W.A.R is applicable for all TF2 classes. It was a reward during a time-limited event back in 2010. In addition to this, it has one of the rarest effects in the game: Unusual Burning Flames. Such a combination creates the most expensive TF2 item.
Collector’s Professional Killstreak Golden Frying Pan
- Price: $20,000 – $25,000+
The popular TF2 melee weapon Frying Pan received two layers of additional rarity. It’s a Golden version that was created with pure Australium. Also, this item has the Collector’s level of quality and comes with the pre-applied Professional Killstreak Kit. Such a combination dropped as a very rare reward from the in-game Tour of Duty—for completing on Advanced or Expert difficulty.
The Golden Frying Pan comes with the custom sound effect from the game Left 4 Dead 2. Also, it turns victims into Australium statues upon death.
Buy Golden Frying Pan on DMarket
Unusual Burning Flames Team Captain
- Price: $10,000 – $20,000+
It’s another successful combination of a popular TF2 cosmetic item and Unusual Burning Flames. The elite effect was applied to one of the most iconic hats in the game.
Team Captain is a military peaked cap for the Soldier, Heavy, and Medic. The hat’s color changes depending on which character class wears it. Without Unusual Burning Flames, Team Captain is a pretty accessible item. Still, you get a real collectible only with this effect.
Unusual Burning Flames Tyrant’s Helm
- Price: $14,000 – $16,000
As a hat for the TF2 Soldier, Tyrant’s Helm looks like a typical Viking helmet. One of the horns is broken, though. This item, with the Genuine quality, was an addition to a real-world action figure. It is possible to apply different colors to Tyrant’s Helm. The item is one of the most expensive in TF2 thanks to the highly coveted Unusual Burning Flames effect.
When you play the game, you may want to set the best TF2 launch options. Our guide explains everything.
Buy Burning Flames Tyrant’s Helm on DMarket
Collector’s Professional Killstreak Australium Rocket Launcher
- Price: $12,000 – $14,000
It’s an example of a basic TF2 item with three extremely rare additions. The Rocket Launcher is a standard weapon for the Soldier. However, this variant comes with the Australium look: golden-like elements on the gun.
The item has a Professional Killstreak Kit to increase the value even more. And on top of this, the Professional Killstreak Australium Rocket Launcher has the Collector’s level of quality. It is a recipe for a pretty high market price!
Buy Australium Rocket Launcher on DMarket
Unusual Burning Flames Killer Exclusive
- Price: $9,000 – $12,000
The hat looks a bit weird in the environment of Team Fortress. It’s a fedora with the sign Press attached. All character classes can wear Killer Exclusive. The item was part of a collaboration between Valve and the PC Gamer magazine; people could receive one for a limited time with the Genuine quality.
The Unusual Burning Flames effect makes the rare hat extremely expensive.
Buy Killer Exclusive on DMarket
Golden Frying Pan (Strange/Standard)
- Price: $6,000 – $8,000
Even in its vanilla variant, Golden Frying Pan is a very expensive TF2 item.
It’s one of the rarest items in the game. The thing looks great, adds custom attack sounds, and turns defeated opponents into Australium statues. Beyond trading, the only way to obtain a Golden Frying Pan is to complete an Advanced or Expert Tour of Duty and hope for this exceptionally rare drop.
Buy Golden Frying Pan (Strange/Standard) on DMarket
Unusual Sunbeams Max’s Severed Head
- Price: $8,000
Max’s Severed Head is traditionally one of the TF2 best-sellers on DMarket. The item itself is rare, as the hat was part of the promo around the game Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse. It’s a pretty thing with white rabbit ears.
To increase the price substantially, the item was combined with the Unusual Sunbeams premium effect.
Buy Max’s Severed Head on DMarket
Collector’s Professional Killstreak Eyelander
- Price: $7,500 – $8,500
The weapon looks like an ancient claymore. The Demoman can use it in TF2 for his melee slot. The item itself is rare. It mutters the word “heads” now and again. Eyelander has unique in-game characteristics: it buffs and heals Demoman slightly after each kill.
With the Collector’s quality and the pre-applied Professional Killstreak feature, the price for Eyelander becomes super high.
Randolph the Blood-Nosed Caribou
- Price: $6,000+
Even without additional effects, this item is among the most expensive in Team Fortress 2. It looks like the reindeer Rudolph’s head—you know, Santa’s reindeer. The Sniper can take it to shooting matches.
It’s a limited-edition promotional hat. Originally, Randolph the Blood-Nosed Caribou could be obtained during the Steam Holiday Sale 2013 by crafting the event’s badge. The explicit rarity explains the price.
Any cosmetic and practical elements in TF2 may look better if you know how to change FOV.
Conclusion
The list of the most expensive TF2 items includes rare, basic cosmetics of high rarity with pre-applied unique features and effects. Most of them are not available beyond purchasing on a skin marketplace.
Any of these items is a great digital collectible that can become a clever long-term investment. At the same time, you can get the usual variants for a very low price. If you are interested in this option, check out our article about cheap TF2 skins.
FAQ
What is the most expensive TF2 item ever sold?
Unusual Crone’s Dome hat with the Spellbound effect was sold for $43,200, which makes it the most expensive ever sold.
It’s a one-of-a-kind item, as the price was mainly motivated by the bugged Killstreak Kit. The bug was fixed by Valve, and no other such item exists.
Without this bug, the price is much lower, therefore the item is not in our list of the generally most expensive TF2 items.
Why are Unusual hats so expensive in TF2?
These are some of the rarest items on the TF2 market, which directly affects the price. Unusual hats also look great, and players appreciate this level of aesthetic.
Can you still get rare TF2 items today?
Yes, it is possible, but requires luck. Play the game to receive drops, open crates, and unlock achievements. Something rare may appear in your inventory.
Still, purchasing on the market is a much more reliable method.
How do I check the value of my TF2 items?
The price of a base item can be easily checked on DMarket. Use our filters for your convenience. Then, pay attention to special effects and rarity level. Is there a Killstreak Kit? Is there a unique paint or particle effect?
Beyond the manual check, you can use the website backpack.tf. It’s a trusted tool to check the value of TF2 items.
Trade on the go - install the mobile app of DMarket from Google Play or App Store. Never miss great prices and unique skins. The best CS2, Dota 2, Rust and TF2 marketplace is always at hand!
Follow DMarket on Facebook and Twitter to get lots of useful info on Team Fortress 2.
