Shareware, AKA “try before you buy”, now known as free game demos.

My first one was DOOM on 3.5” floppy disks. I remember my dad asking “What’s this I.D. software you ordered?”

I played the free demo of Factorio for about 10 hours and got hooked. Waited a bit to see if the price would go down, but it didn't and I didn't care. Bought it at full price and sunk a few hundred hours into it, which is some of the best entertainment ROI from a cost/hours perspective. It turned out to be a bad ROI from a general life perspective since I didn't do much else during that time, so be careful to not get too addicted.

Does marriage count?

/s

Yeah.

Mini story.

Back in the day, me and my best friend got on a mailing list for samples. We didn't do it intentionally, but it ended up being pretty cool. We'd get all kinds of stuff. Some of it was shit, some was good, the way you'd expect.

But over the years, those samples worked. Sensodyne, the toothpaste for example. Tried a sample, and since it's as good as anything else as toothpaste, the fact that I preferred the taste more than most was enough to switch.

But the cool shit was when they'd ask for feedback. Sometimes you'd get full sized freebies.

One of those was the candy, take 5. A pretzel with caramel, covered in chocolate. This was before they were for sale. We tried the samples, sent in the little card, and a few weeks later got boxes in the mail full of the samples, asking us to get other people to try it. So, we did, and those people usually sent the cards that came in the box the we gave them.

Turned out that the little number on the card was our number. So, when people sent in the cards with feedback, they knew it was us doing their marketing for them (that's what the whole thing is, it wasn't just them being nice). Well, another month or two passed, and we see them in stores. And we would buy them here and there, because they are insanely good, if a tad too sweet overall.

Then, we got more boxes from them, packed with the full sized packages, plus a whole booklet of coupons, and a surprisingly nice little form letter of thanks. It ended up being something like fifty free packages, twenty free coupons plus another twenty of half price.

Really weird that this question would come up right now because up until yesterday, I would say no. I was at the store with my daughter and there was a person giving away free samples of these frozen dumplings (they were cooked, not cold). My daughter chowed one down and asked for another. Now my daughter is a super picky eater, so I was like "hell yeah, I'm gonna buy a box of these".

Well we went home to have dumplings for dinner and she didn't want to eat them.

So now I have dumplings.

Costco samples sometimes. Doesn't happen often though. I think the last time was this huge bag of popcorn that was actually really good.

Granted this isnt a "Purchase," but I married my wife. After that first sample, I was hooked and knew I wanted the whole woman forever. 6 years later, I got my best friend and gal of my dreams everyday.

It wasn't a free "sample", but I got someone's hand-me-down leggings and they were so comfortable that I bought a new pair when I needed a different size.

I was in NYC for Pride the other year and got a sample of a cannabis drink made by a new-at-the-time company Cycling Frog. Flavor is good for a seltzer type drink, and the inebriation level is tailored to be about equal to 1-2 alcoholic beverages, which makes it easy to dose. Hubby and I loved it and bought a couple of cans on the spot. They are now available in dispensaries near us, and we still pick up a case every few months.

We have this oriental restaurant here that gives out 8 samples at the beginning and you can then chose what to order, all-you-can-eat. The menu changes every couple of weeks. It’s not the greatest restaurant but a nice concept and I like going there with friends.

Winrar and mIRC are pretty good but I'm not quite sure yet...

Video games, for sure.

In college I was given a 5-pound block of cheese after doing a mall survey on cheese.

Yes, for a set of skincare products. One of the products was a sebum control serum that just did magic, I've never seen anything else like it. No more pimples no more blackheads no excess oil and just in three days. Unfortunately it's discontinued now 😭 but yeah that's my bought after the sample story

I don’t go to Costco but every few years and I went hungry with a friend who has membership and bought too many of the samples I had

Sometimes when I go into the big booze store for wine. If they have samples of a type I'm looking for and it tastes ok, I might buy. They're usually sampling wines at very acceptable price points.

I always test drive cars before buying.

I change hobbies like I change my clothes. So to keep from sinking way too much into every new hobby, I try to borrow or rent for a bit before buying to make sure it's a hobby that I will stick with. Example, I picked up dragonboat racing this summer but declined to buy my own $120 paddle and used the clubs slightly heavier, older, paddles that are a little big for me. If I keep going with the team next year, I might buy a paddle. But first will buy a new PFD so I don't have to wear one of their "one size fits all but it's going to ride up halfway to u/Vanth's ears" lifejackets.

• Cracked Minecraft Beta 1.7.3 to full Minecraft Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5. (I don't like Microsoft and Notch is a Nazi)
• Cheese (before I was vegan. I kinda miss free food sampling)
• Monthly countrywide public transit ticket (well 9€ wasn't free, but for a net of 39,000 km railway alone plus every other PT except HSR, it basically is). 49€ now, 58€ in 2025 (=> Subsidy regimes are not on parity to motorised individual traffic)
• Library subscription

Protonmail yes

I received a "gift with purchase" lip balm. I usually just toss it after discovering how sticky/goopy/fragranced/tingling it is, but this one was really mild/neutral/pleasant so I got the full one when I finished the sample.

Yea, snacks are the most likely culprit for me.

Happens a lot at farmers markets to the point where it's dangerous. But I don't feel bad supporting small, local businesses.

Always buy from the grocery store sample person.

From travels to lots of hotels I’ve taken their mini bottles of shampoo and shaving cream, now from one hotel in Germany and another in France I exclusively buy those shampoos/shaving cream.

Some furniture wax. And I still use it, I just bought two more tins.

I was addicted to Sam's Hatch Chile Cheese Flavored Peanuts from the first time I tried them while walking by one of their many sample carts. They were a limited run, so I was very sad when Sam's stopped carrying them. But, they did start stocking the seasoning itself, so I got that going for me.

Plasticity (3d software)

I definitely did at a BBQ place near my old office. If you give me a bite of good BBQ, I’m buying what you’re selling.

Usually beef jerky

I did it with Fulton and Roark's wax based cologne. It's great for traveling and they smell nice. I still have the sample pack since I don't wear cologne often.