Displaying your prized treasures is as fun as collecting them -- and just as challenging.

Decorating with your collectibles is a sure way to add personality and character to your home. Collectors shop for everything from bottle-cap art to matchbooks to pottery to piggybanks. And while it's "the thrill of the hunt" that keeps many collectors on the prowl, displaying those prized treasures is equally fun -- and challenging. Here are some tips on displaying your collections:

• Experts advise to group similar items together in one spot instead of scattering them throughout the house. Place them together on a shelf or table, or hanging on a wall. To avoid a cluttered look, organize objects by color. For instance put all green pottery together. Cluster all your silver candlesticks on several shelves.
• Another way to group collections is to create themed arrangements. You might group Americana pieces together, for example. Or why not display various sizes and textures to add visual interest -- you might fix folk art with fine art.
• And you can use pieces in unexpected ways. An old wool penny rug might be deployed as a throw, or hung on a wall. Also, varying the scale of objects -- stacking different-size bandboxes for instance -- sets off pieces to their best advantage.
• And finally, don't let collections take care of themselves: Once you fill up your display space, start "editing" your collections -- replacing lesser quality with better quality.

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