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This is something i found out before i got visa and could buy real shims online lol
I don't know if this trick is well known(?)
In some stores they put stickers on items above a certain value. The stickers activate the alarm if you try to steal the item.(This is what i've been told)
Inside these stickers, you will often find small strips of metal. These can be used as shims.
They are much thinner than a regular shim, and should be used double
These will not compare to real shims, and should be used with care.
I will show how i extract them from the stickers.


this is the kind of stickers you are looking for:

obviously try to remove the sticker from the box without bending it.


First tro cut it at A, and if you are lucky the shims will slip out.
If they wont come out, then you will have to cut it at B to.

Picture of the cuts:


Now you can remove the shims:
(in this picture you can see a small strip of metal left in the lamination...this is usually thicker than the others.)


Shims next to a real shim:

Another half decent homebrew shim is off-brand pop cans... the ones that have that really cheap feeling can. Just be really careful cutting it, wear gloves.