OK, I tried getting some samples this week and I scored the following:
Maxim:
2x MAX7219
2x MAX6977
Atmel:
2x ATtiny84
3x ATtiny85
TI:
2x TLC5940
2x TLC5916
3x TPD2E009DBZR (needed to hack my DSO Quad)
The Maxim7219 came in a pretty little presentation box. The MAX6977s came in a tube marked "MAXIM engineering samples". All the rest came in generic chopped-off tubes, all from the same place, all in identical boxes. Probably some distributor or other.
If any manufacturers are reading this:
Free samples are a good service, especially to students/hobbyists who don't have accounts with Farnell/RS/etc. and will be killed by shipping costs if they try to order single chips from them. All the chips above found a good home and will be used, not hoarded (apart from the MAX7219s, because I like the box...good advertising strategy!) PS: It would be nice to have an option for USPS shipping instead of Fedex. I wouldn't have minded at all.