PHP MySQL - combining a paging script with a HTML table-creating while loop

Hello Experts,

I have a script which queries a mysql db and returns its results in a HTML table.
The problem is there are hundreds of returns, so a paging script would be in order.
Based off of the tutorials I found elsewhere in EE, I built the Paging Script below.

My problem is I don't know how to deal with the paging script's need to use the Header Function.

This is the last part of a new section of a company website I am setting up.
Hence the high point value...

Thanx,
DLG


-----   Table Maker Script    -----

// evaluate whether or not Collection has been passed

$value = (isset($_GET) && array_key_exists('collection', $_GET)) ? $_GET['collection'] : false;
// If collection is not set, display a paginated table of collections
if ($value === false) {
       $resultn = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tblItems GROUP BY item_collection") or die("Sql Error : " . mysql_error());
         echo '<table class="content">';
         echo '<tr>';
         $c = 0;
         while($row1 = mysql_fetch_array($resultn)) {
         $c++;
         echo '<td>';
         echo '<a href="collection_table.php?collection=' . $row1['item_collection'] . '">';s
         echo '<img class="content" src="'. $row1['image_path'] . $row1['image_file_low'] . '"><br/>' ;
         echo $row1['item_collection'];
         echo '</a>';
         echo '</td>';
            if ($c == 5) {
            $c = 0;
            echo '</tr>';
             echo '<tr>'; //end the old row and begin a new one
     }
}
         echo '</tr>';
         echo '</table>';
         echo '/<div>";



} else {

-----   Table Maker Script    -----

-----   Paging Script    -----

<?PHP
if ( $_REQUEST['number'] == NULL ){
$limit = 10;
} else {
$limit = $_REQUEST['number'];
}

if ($_REQUEST['page']==NULL){
$start = 0;
} else {
$start = $_REQUEST['page'];
}

if($_GET['page'] < 0){
header("Location: category_searchy.php?page=0&number=".$limit);
}

$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tblItems LIMIT $start, $limit") or die(mysql_error());

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array ($query) ) {
echo '<p>'.$row['item_number'].'</p>';

}                            

$previous = $start - $limit;
$next = $start + $limit;
echo '<a href="category_searchy.php?page='.$previous.'">Previous</a> - ';
echo '<a href="category_searchy.php?page='.$next.'">Next</a>';

?>

-----   Paging Script    -----Start Free Trial