So I got this skin from the marketplace thinking it was a skin for your weapon.
Found it it's an actual weapon, but worse than my current weapon.
Does the "skin" serve any other purpose...?

you can change your current weapon's skin to that look, but it consumes the item forever

Could you explain how I do this?
Fairly new. Ideally that's what I purchased it for was to alter
my current weapons appearance.

if you go to the manage equipment interface, look at the top of the window that pops up and there should be 3 icons, one that looks like a sword pointing up

click on that one and drag the other weapon into the spot and it'll let you pay a fee to change the appearance

Ok so last question and thanks for all your help.
Will I be replacing my beginner weapon with anything else? Or am I just using the same weapon the whole time
and just leveling it up like I have been?
I don't wanna waste the skin on something I will be getting rid of and would prefer to use it for something more "end game"

from my understanding, the beginner weapon is good all the way through the game as it is right now. eventually there might be something better, but the beginner weapon is the best if you keep upgrading it

gets pretty expensive once you get to the moonwater stones though

Thanks again for your help.