Nova | Candy Apple (Minimal Wear)

The Nova | Candy Apple (Minimal Wear, MW) is an Industrial Grade shotgun skin finished in a glossy red-and-black lacquer. Minimal Wear keeps that candy coat looking almost showroom-fresh while sitting a notch below the priciest grade.

Design

The look is deliberately bold and stripped-back: solid-color spray paint applied to individual parts of the shotgun in a red-and-black scheme, evoking a lacquered car body. Valve designed the finish, and it carries a cheeky in-game line, "Great on cars, better on weapons."

Nova | Candy Apple (Minimal Wear) Float and Wear

Sitting in the 0.00–0.30 float band, Minimal Wear falls just above Factory New (FN). Expect only the faintest wear on the corners and panel edges, with the red lacquer holding its depth across the body. Since the finish caps at 0.30, even the most-worn copies stay mild — so Minimal Wear reads as near-flawless to most eyes.

Nova | Candy Apple Rarity

Rarity: Industrial Grade. That's the light-blue class, one of the lower rungs on the standard weapon ladder — common enough to stay affordable and easy to slot into any budget loadout.

Nova | Candy Apple Case and Collection

Part of The Italy Collection, this Nova finish arrived in November 2013 with the "Out with the old, in with the new" update. There's no weapon case behind the collection, meaning regular copies are picked up through collection drops or straight off the market instead of by unboxing.

Nova | Candy Apple Patterns

No random pattern roll applies here — the paint seed doesn't alter the artwork, and the red-and-black layout appears the same on every copy. That rules out any blue-gem or "best seed" hunting; the only real variables are the wear grade and float value.

StatTrak & Souvenir

A StatTrak edition was never made, because StatTrak versions are minted from weapon cases and the Italy Collection has no case attached to it. A Souvenir version, on the other hand, does circulate — it debuted in the DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Package and was later handed out through additional Major souvenir packages.

Nova | Candy Apple Price

Minimal Wear lands a step under Factory New on the price ladder while staying above Field-Tested (FT) — the value grade for buyers who want a near-pristine coat without paying the top premium. It's available to buy on Skin.Land with instant delivery and no hidden fees.

FAQ

Does the Minimal Wear coat look worn?

Barely. A glossy solid-color finish like this hides light wear well, so a Minimal Wear copy reads as almost fresh, with only faint marks on the edges under close inspection. The deep red lacquer stays vivid across the body, which is why many buyers see this grade as the sweet spot.

Is there a StatTrak Candy Apple?

No. StatTrak variants are produced only inside weapon cases, and this finish comes from The Italy Collection, which never had a case. As a result, no StatTrak copy exists in any wear — the only special variant of this skin is the Souvenir version from Major tournament packages.

How rare is the finish?

It's Industrial Grade, one of the more common tiers, so the regular version isn't scarce and stays budget-friendly to acquire. What lends it prestige within the Nova lineup is its high standing on the price ladder plus the collectible Souvenir edition tied to early Major tournaments.