I'm thinking of buying a used 18 foot Shearwater Bluefin from someone locally and was wondering if you can help me negotiate the right price. ..........
What would be a fair price? I know what I'm willing to pay for it but curious what others would say...

Thanks!

Was the boat built from a Shearwater kit (with marine plywood and name-brand epoxy) or with local materials (doorskins, cheap epoxy) using purchased plans? (Shearwater may still have the customer record.....).

Are there any decent 'extras' included (good sprayskirt, good (name-brand, and right-size) paddle, other gear that you would want/need) ?

Do the hatches seal (it sounds like they don't)? Are there deck lines & end toggles? Is the owner willing to fill up the compartments with a garden hose to check for leaks?

Any boat that shows any sign of water damage & soft spots would be in the (very very ) few hundred $ category for me, but then I'd rather build something from scratch for myself. I think many builders would feel the same.(?)
Depending on your location, you probably could buy a decent plastic sea kayak (which would have easy resale value- something like a Wilderness or P&H) for not a great deal of money, so that could be one point of comparison.

I know from experience that it is quite tough to sell a 'very good' wood&glass kayak for a decent price - even in a kayak friendly spot like the PNW, so a boat with any problems should go for a very modest price, IMO.

Example:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6046