[C]Functions Help!

The program i am working on i am trying to get it to display how many items are in a list. but i am trying to do it with a function. The program compiles correct and gives no errors but when i run the program and input some things when it displays the number of items in the list it only displays 1 and will not increment when new items are added. Can any one see what i am doing wrong. Thanks.


#include <stdio.h>

#include <conio.h>

#include <malloc.h>


struct item {char name[10];

              int dollars, cents;

              struct item *next_item;};

struct item * Get_item (void);

void Display_List (struct item * ptr);

int count_List (struct item * ptr);

int count = 0;

int ptr_total;

      

void main()

  { struct item *ptr2start_of_list = NULL;

    struct item *ptr_temp = NULL;

    struct item *ptr_total = NULL;

    char response;


    ptr2start_of_list = Get_item();


    

    

    while (1)

    {

    //This displays the number of items in the List

    printf("\nThere are %i in the list", count_List(ptr_total));

    //count_List(ptr_total);

    

    printf ("\nWould you like to add another item? (Y or N)\n");

    fflush(stdin);

    response = getch();

    if (response == 'y')

      { ptr_temp = Get_item();      //creates and fills new item

        ptr_temp->next_item = ptr2start_of_list;  //move the pointers to insert into list

        ptr2start_of_list = ptr_temp;

      }

    else break;

    }


    //this would be a good spot to display the list!!!

    printf ("\nThe list contains: \n");

    Display_List(ptr2start_of_list);


    //This displays the number of items in the List

    printf("\nThere are %i in the list", count_List);

    //count_List(ptr_total);

    

    fflush(stdin);

    getch();


    return;

  }


struct item * Get_item (void)

{   struct item *ptr;


        //create a space to store the info, then fill the space

    ptr = (struct item *) malloc (sizeof (struct item));

    printf("\nType an item name:   ");

    gets(ptr->name);

    printf("\nType in a price, dollars first:");

    scanf ("%i", &ptr->dollars);

    fflush(stdin);

    printf("\nNow cents: ");

    scanf ("%i", &ptr->cents);

    fflush(stdin);

    ptr->next_item = NULL;

            

    return (ptr);

}


void Display_List (struct item * ptr)

{

                    //traverse the list, displaying each member

    while (ptr != NULL)

    {

        printf("\n.... %s,  $%d.%.2d", ptr->name, ptr->dollars, ptr->cents);

        ptr = ptr->next_item;   //advance to next item in list

    }

    fflush(stdout);

    return;

}


count_List (struct item * ptr)

{int counter = 1;

    //Tracers the list. counting each member

    while (ptr != NULL)

    {

        counter++;


        ptr = ptr->next_item;   //advance to next item in list

        counter = ptr_total;


    }

       return (counter);

}