Nobody saw a value in domain names. People didn't think we'd run out of domains. People didn't think that the internet would become mainstream, or that it would continue to exist in that form for a long time.
[EDIT: Duh. Of course, it was actually Class A blocks at the time.]
Maybe a little out of date by now, but still, you can get a feel for it.
Apple, Ford, HP, DEC, Xerox, among others all have full /8 blocks.
Are you implying that they were printed out, individually packaged, and offered in a bowl?