In CSGO, your skins are a direct representation of how good you are. This is fact. If you spent 1k on a Dragonlore, you're one of the best AWPers in your region, hands down.
Seriously though I think the loot box model is ethically wrong. However, I don't believe it's wrong to offer skins for sale - this is no different than people wearing different brands of clothing when they compete in sports
But, I completely agree. And whats worse is that Valve has done little to combat the darkest side of this industry, such as the 'futures' and stuff like that. Every CSGO video has an ad for some gambling site, and major events are sponsored by these companies.
The only part I like about the skins in CSGO is that you can actually 'own' the skin to a degree and make real money on it. But because of that, CSGO might also have one of the most predatory skin communities in all of gaming.
That's life and I'm glad that worked out for you.