For some people, shopping at flea markets is akin to the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack hunt. But for the crowds expected to show up this weekend for the Tossed Out Treasures sale in Sandy Springs, it's a chance to uncover the perfect accent piece or missing nightstand for the spare room, without spending a lot of money.

Sandy Springs Society volunteers organizing the sales have given up counting how many items will be on display. They've been amassing the assortment for almost a year, collecting castoffs of sofas, lamps, tables, china, glassware, artworks, holiday decor and more for their annual fund-raiser. The results are enough to fill an empty showroom.

Bob Andres / AJC (ENLARGE)

Atlanta interior designer Kim Evans put together this den with goods from Tossed Out Treasures.

Bob Andres / AJC (ENLARGE)

Artist Lila McAlpin put together this mountain kitchen, with goods from the garage sale.

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Inside that vacant storefront in the North River shopping center, the donated goods are divided into separate areas for easy perusal. But with so much to see, where do you start? And is it really possible to find a great bargain?

"It's all here and there's so much," said volunteer Polly Warren. "Whether you're looking for color, size or function, we have it."

Four area design pros agreed with Warren. They spent a day last week combing through the selection of donated items to see what hidden treasures they could uncover. Their results: Four room settings, outfitted with just the merchandise in the building. A guest room, girl's bedroom, family room and kitchen eating area are the result.

Interior designer Cathie Cox of Holly Hill Interiors in Alpharetta assembled the guest room in about 90 minutes after discovering a red, black and gold wool area rug ($50).

"I followed the rule we tell our clients: Find a piece you love and use it to anchor the room. I loved the bold colors in the rug and went for pieces that worked around it."

Cox used a queen-sized four poster ($75) as the room's next big piece, then paired it with a tall dresser ($75), nightstands ($35), black-shaded lamps ($20), a mirror ($25) and a footstool with a wrought-iron base. She also used wrought iron elements over the bed, transforming two old iron gates ($20) into artwork. The bed was completed with an embroidered spread ($10) and a beige throw ($3).

Interior designer Lacey Keen saw so much pink that she thought, "girl's bedroom." A white metal double bed ($35) was the starting point. "The headboard started it all," she said. "From there, I kept thinking about a pink bedroom for a girl."

Keen covered the bed in a comforter ($20) and dust ruffle ($10), both dotted with pink roses. A low patio table was the right height for a child's tea table, covered in two layers of pink from the linen room and a china tea set. A cotton area rug ($1) was laid by a green night stand ($10), topped with a pot of pink silk tulips. A white dresser with mirror ($40) held a mirrored tray with pink roses ($5), two glass candlesticks, also with roses ($10) and a lamp painted in a shade of pale lilac ($4). A glass-fronted white cabinet ($40) and a white toy chest ($35) completed the look. At the last minute, Keen topped off the room with an ivory metal chandelier ($30).

Knowing that many people may be shopping for their weekend retreat in the mountains, avid collector and artist Lila McAlpin created a cozy kitchen area. The main pieces are a table ($25) for four that she paired with green chairs ($5 each) and a painted fireplace mantel to give the illusion of a keeping room. She filled a shopping cart with utensils, china plates, candles, a pie server and green linen napkins to set the table. She fashioned a sideboard from the base of an older Singer sewing machine and topped it with the table's extra leaves.

"There's enough here for people to use in their second home," said McAlpin. "And you don't have to spend a lot to do it."

Designer Kim Evans of Beechwood Designs created a complete living room. The space almost looks lived in, with its copper pot of silk forsythia ($15) in one corner to the globe standing in another. The big finds were two beige love seats ($150 each) and a TV armoire ($125). A pink armchair ($85) with two embroidered pillows ($5) and a pale pink silk club chair ($95) gave the space some color. A glass and brass coffee table ($35) holds two candlesticks with glass globes ($10). Around the room are small touches, such as a silk ficus tree ($5); a brown footstool ($25); a ceramic table with a heron design on the base ($30); fringed pillows ($5); a candy dish ($10); and a pole lamp ($20). The space also includes a desk topped with a picture frame, two lamps, a brass paperweight, a pencil tray and a silver clock with a framed print above.

The extremely low prices are designed to keep the merchandise moving, said co-chair Brenda Letzler. The sale also includes adult and children's clothing, as well as toys.

Flea market finds

Tips for uncovering treasures amid the vast selection

• Start with a focus: Does your college student need dishes or silverware or a few pieces to add to a certain room? Having a goal makes it easier to shop.

• Shop by size: Know what size space you're looking to fill so you don't wind up with items that are too big or too small.

• Shop by color: Select a color scheme and stick to it to pull together a coordinated look.

• Shop by function: Have a list of items you need by room and head to the area that displays those goods.

IF YOU GO

Tossed Out Treasures sale

PREVIEW PARTY: 6-9 p.m. April 3. Paying guests get first dibs on the merchandise. Tickets are $30 at the door.

ADDRESS: North River Shopping Center, 1880 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs

ADMISSION: Free for the regular sale Friday, Saturday and Sunday

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The die-hard bargain hunters will show up from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday when anything that remains is half price.

PAYMENT: Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.

More information about the sale is online at www.sandyspringssociety.org; 404-252-2787.