Potty Talk, Part 3

This is freaking ridiculous. The new plunger I bought a little while ago (See PottyTalk, Part 2) is already caput. I used it perhaps 3 times. The last time, it inverted and stayed that way. So much for the pliability it showed in the store.
That thing cost me almost $5, and I did not get my money's worth.
How hard can it be to make a functional, reusable plumber's helper? The manufacturer made no claims about how long it would last or even if it would work, but I'm thinking about taking it back to Walgreens for a refund. That ought to make them think twice before they offer us nothing but crappy Chinese products in their stores.
I'm going to have to look into this problem. Don't they make these things out of rubber anymore? If not, why not? Wouldn't that be a good use for all those old tires, if there's any way to recycle them?
What are they making them out of, anyway? Is there something I should be doing to prolong the life of my plungers? Between these $5 one-use plungers and the $4 I have to spend every other week on products to unclog the tub, it's is getting rather expensive to keep my bathroom in working order.
So I guess I'll try the costlier and even lousier-quality ones that look like the flexing part of bendy-straws (and appear to be made of the same material) next. Wish me luck!

Update: I looked online and found that they are still making some force cups (as they are also known) out of rubber (or so they say), so I will look for one of those, instead. I think I will also try to get one with a longer handle, and forgo the various, bizarre designs by which they attempt to eliminate the splashing problem.
Some of them even come with guarantees!