When I was gifted my original 5D, the camera that pulled from Planet Nikon, it came with a 16-35 2.8L II. The printing on the front lens housing has completely worn off but the glass is in PRISTINE condition and the filter ring is fine. Focus is spot on and the rest of the lens is in good condition. Everything about this lens is great, except for that front housing and is, in other words, purely cosmetic.
Now that I've immersed myself into Canon gear, I have found that the 16-35 is really just too wide for the style of photography I partake in. Chances are good the 24-70 is a much better range for me and I am considering selling the 16-35. So I am curious about how much of a dollar "hit" would the 16-35's front housing cause? I have included a picture to be able to see the housing (sorry, just a quick shot with my phone).
I would think you could still get at least $1000 for it... that's just my gut feeling however. Personally I have no problem buying things that are cosmetically imperfect if they do the job.
I think Zander is about right. It's in less than "Excellent" condition, maybe E-, but it's not too bad if that's the only issue. They're going for about $1100 in E to E+ condition on eBay, so a bit less sounds about right. See the Lens Price Database, Lens$db, http://tinyurl.com/jcolwell-lensdb
