[popcalc]

No one wants to pay for APIs. They want to solve headaches, appease their bosses, build cool things. Figure out a problem that a niche group of people have and you're golden. There are people making 6 figures selling CS:GO skin price feeds.

[weird-eye-issue]

> There are people making 6 figures selling CS:GO skin price feeds.

Really?

I was working on a project a few years ago that needed this data so I setup a scraper to get all price data from Steam and Bitskins. It was running 24/7 and putting everything into a database that was very clean and neat. Maybe I should boot that back up and just sell access to the API...

[popcalc]

Yes. The gambling sites that accept skin deposits invest a lot of effort into guaranteeing that someone can't fleece them by manipulating the price of an obscure item.

On a similar note, there are also folk making 6 figs selling access to steam game hour idlers.

[WJW]

> The gambling sites that accept [CS:Go] skin deposits ...

I had never heard about this before, but it makes (some small amount of) sense. Steam game hour idlers are also something I never imagined btw. We are truly living in the future.

[weird-eye-issue]

I figured they have their own scrapers and algorithms to determine what the prices are for an item. Because a third-party could subtely scam them by altering the prices

[fnomnom]

>steam game hour idlers

could you elaborate on that? what does this do exactly? idle for example on tf2 servers for drops but you dont have to run your own pc for that?

[popcalc]

No, that's a whole other business. Idler services just run up the hours on games in your library without the games actually running. Vanity knows no limits.

https://steamtimeidler.com/

[fnomnom]

oh wow. im the polar opposite. i wouldnt want to know most people the hours i out into some games at all

[weird-eye-issue]

It can be used by scammers to make their accounts seem more legit. "Why would they scam me for $200 and risk their account they have played CSGO for 5000 hours with?"

[ryanackley]

Ok but you could easily view the question as "What headaches to you want to solve and/or cool things you want to build that could be done using an API that you would be willing to pay for"

[robertlagrant]

> Figure out a problem that a niche group of people have and you're golden.

Hence the Ask HN question.

[hestefisk]

What is CS:GO?

[slig]

Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

[mrprogrammerguy]

Lol I see what you mean. Thanks.