This is precisely why I went with the Sansa Clips back in the day. They were inexpensive enough to replace easily if one broke, and RockBox gave them a lot more life. I still have a few of them laying around but haven't been used much anymore due to using streaming services.
I think I picked up my first Sansa Clip+ new for £15, and my second one (just after they were discontinued) for about £35. I imagine it's gone up again since then!