apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That is pretty expensive considering Maharam and other textile companies will give free samples to designers, often with free shipping.

I agree. It is completely overpriced and wasteful.
ALL of those product samples can be obtained free of charge if you are a designer - sometimes even when you are not. As for the convenience of how the product cut sheets and project descriptions are pre-organized for you, I do not see the point. Most of this information can be easily obtained online - without the unnecessary need to print it out and fill up shelves with literature that will not be referenced again.