Great find. I used to live in Austin where recycling was cool way back when. We knew to cruise the better neighborhoods on "bulky trash day" for treasures! Folks who put things out are always glad to see them reused. I scored some gorgeous custom window blinds that way.
About the samples...the first quilt my Mother made was a log cabin and many of the fabrics came from sample books for dressmaking fabric. My aunt worked at a fabric wholesale house and gave her sample books...lots of coordinated prints.