hi guys,

mail box news and american cake decorating has out a bound book of all the magazines for the year.

what i would like to know which magazine is better out of the two? i would like to buy one of them. or the two if both are great.

thanks
kathy

I got the email from American Cake Decorating today about the hardbound book too. I am also wondering the same thing about which is better. I was thinking of getting a subscription to one of them, but am not sure which one to choose.

Mailbox news is more for "amateurs" -- housewives and people who do cakes as a paid hobby as it were send in photos of how they did this cake or that technique. American Cake Decorating is more polished, with established names giving interviews and tutorials on how they did various cakes and techniques. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that Scott Woolley got his name established by sending in his early work to mailbox news. Both magazines are good for ideas and such. My personal preference is ACD but that's just me.

I like Mailbox News better. Seems like it has pics of a wider variety of skill levels. I guess it's more on my level. )

American Cake decorating is way better then mailbox news.

Mail box news show cakes people made so if you want ideas then get that.

ACD show cakes that have been made by other plus their are articles on how to make certain cakes that are in the magazine.

I also get this magazine, with every penny. You get 12 issues and it has over 70 to 80 pages with lots of techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007LCJLU/?tag=cakecentral-20

I subscribe to both of them and love them for different reasons. I'm an amateur decorater and like the Mailbox News for the ideas. Also I've had 5 cake pictures published in it so far and it is really a great feeling to see your own cake in a magazine. I love the American Cake Decorating for the cakes above my talent level and the instrutions the decoraters give. Kind of like private instructions that you can go back to again and again for reference. Some things I'm not ready for yet but I have them for later if I want.
Plus they are fun to look at when I don't feel like doing anything around the house. I look and dream of someday making grand cakes.

Thanks for asking, I was thinking the same thing!

Great info, thank you!

Congrats, grams, on getting your cakes published!!!! That must be so cool to see one (or 5) of your cakes in a magazine!

I've gotten both magazines in the past, but dropped ACD. They went so exclusively into fondant, that I lost interest. The cakes are beautiful, yes, and if you love fondant, it's a wonderful resource. If your heart is into BC, it isn't the magazine for you. MBN is a great resource for looking at a variety of cake designs from a whole gamut of skill levels. If you can afford it, get a subscription to both and see which appeals to you the most.

I love both of them. I like Mailbox News better because there are many pictures of amateur cakes, people with the same skill level as mine. ACD has more detailed and elegant cakes...more on the side of professional cake decorating...a skill I can only dream of. They both are worth it though. If I had a choice between one though I would pick Mailbox News.

Jen

thanks everyone for all the answers...i caved and bought the two.