List of Companies that Often Hand Out Free Samples
Credit to Brendan Haines for coming up with this list! This is a list of companies who are usually willing to give out free stuff as samples!
Connectors (sample anything)
Connectors (limited selection)
Connectors (limited selection?, limited quantity, sometimes very long lead times without notification, I think I've had sample orders disappear silently)
Power and RF ICs (limited selection, limited quantity)
ICs (I'm not clear on their sample policy but lately have had good success lately)
RF filters and ICs (limited selection, limited quantity)