Startup

How do i get an item to start at startup, I have placed the item in the startupitems folder with no joy

check here
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300962

Open your Preference pane and click on users, then click on the user you want to set it for and then click on login items. Click the little plus at the bottom and select the program/application/whatnot you want to start when you login/startup.