I'm aware that in the U.S., it is illegal to sell unlicensed goods as they are considered counterfeit etc.

However, what if one were to give them away as freebies as there are some good cheap items out there that would make great giveaways. Would that be considered illegal, even if one disclosed that they were unofficial?

As fanart for example is kind of in the grey area as far as sales go but I see a lot of sites like Deviant art serving as hubs for people to essentially download fanart for free and I don't see them getting in trouble. The same with artists who give away free prints of said fanart as promos of their skills at art conventions. Would this work with physical items?

It's still illegal. No mater what you do with them they can nail you to the wall for just being in possession of them.

up18t is right they will drop the hammer on you big time. Why not JV with someone for legit goods and build some goodwill with your new partner.

JQ