Well, a new phone would be over $300, I think. And a case that would do the trick might available for as little as $7. Check this case out, for example:
2 LCD +BLACK HARD CASE FOR BLACKBERRY 8300 8310 CURVE - eBay (item 120280280857 end time Jul-08-08 17:05:37 PDT)
Anyone used that, or a comparably inexpensive eBay special?