Boats used to be made out of wood or plywood – some still are, but most are now made of grp (fibreglass) or moulded plastic. Modern materials are more expensive to buy but take less looking after than wood.
Boat shows and dinghy shows are a good place to start as they have all the latest designs as well as up to date versions of popular classes. Shows are useful for research if you want to window-shop before buying secondhand...