Can the aerial on a remote controlled car be fixed?

We have a cheap remote controlled car and the aerial on the controller has just broken - over-extended and now in two pieces. I have crudely crimped the bits together so that it seems to work but will not now retract/ collapse, which is a bit of a pain. Is it possible to mend these aerials (just like those on transistor radios), or is it a case of trying to find a replacement? Or is the clue in the first sentence above - cheap?