Comparison

Collectors Gazette vs Model Car Builder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Collectors Gazette

This monthly newspaper keeps toy collectors informed about the latest news, vintage models, and price guides. It offers digital interactivity with exclusive content and event listings.

Highlights
  • Latest collecting news
  • In-depth features on vintage models
  • Price guides
  • Event listings
  • Digital interactivity
  • Exclusive images and videos
Features
Read full description

Collectors Gazette - the only monthly newspaper for toy collectors! Keeping you up to date with all the latest collecting news, along with in-depth features on vintage diecast, railways, tinplate and TV & film models. We also bring you up to date price guides, event listings and swapmeet reports from around the country. The Digital version is fully interactive with exclusive images, videos, extra auction results and more! • Latest auction, toyfairs and event news. • Features on traditional and nostalgic toys and models • Price guide • The very latest releases can be found from all the major manufacturers in the industry – Corgi, Dinky, Tri-ang, Matchbox, Tekno, Hornby, Airfix, Lego, Chad Valley, Betal, Wells, Barret & sons and much more! ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest issue. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

Model Car Builder

This app provides in-depth, step-by-step guides for detailing and building model cars. It features articles from experienced modelers, catering to both beginners and advanced hobbyists. Magazine subscriptions are available for purchase within the app.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step detailing guides
  • Feature cars by top modelers
  • Beginner to advanced tips
  • Magazine subscriptions
  • Visual design and graphics focus
Features
Read full description

MODEL CAR BUILDER (MCB). I’ve been a model car builder all my life. I started as a kid and I’ve been building ever since. In the late 80s, early 90s I published a model car magazine called “Plastic Fanatic”. I sold the magazine and went back to school to study visual design and computer graphics. Kind of fell out of the hobby for a while, but then my wife and friends encouraged me to start building again, that’s when I decided to start a new magazine. Only this time the magazine is strictly a “how-to” magazine. No kit reviews, no events coverage, no new products section, strictly how-to’s and feature cars. Our in-depth how-to articles show you step-by-step how to detail a model car and our feature cars are done by some of the best modelers in the country. If you’re a serious model car builder, or a beginner looking for tips, then MCB is a “must have” for your work bench. Magazine Subscriptions are available for purchase inside this app. Six months subscription - $13.99 (automatically renewed until canceled) One year subscription - $16.99 (automatically renewed until canceled) Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period unless you change your subscription preferences in your account settings. You can manage your subscriptions through your account settings after purchase on your device. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Please visit http://www.magzter.com/ns/privacy-policy.html for our Privacy Policy and http://www.magzter.com/ns/terms_condition.html for our Terms & Conditions

Screenshots

Collectors Gazette4 screens
Model Car Builder4 screens

Verdict

The call

Collectors Gazette and Model Car Builder both sit at 3.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Collectors Gazette's written reviews are positive against 25% of Model Car Builder's. Collectors Gazette also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Model Car Builder's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Collectors Gazette sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Model Car Builder sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Collectors Gazette holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Model Car Builder has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Collectors Gazette's written reviews are positive against 25% of Model Car Builder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Collectors Gazette ships an update every 20 months, Model Car Builder every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Collectors Gazette versus Model Car Builder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCollectors GazetteModel Car Builder
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (2 ratings) — better3.3 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings212 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWarners Group Publications PLCMagzter Inc.

Customer experience

Collectors Gazette

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Model Car Builder

All ratings12 ratings
Positive58.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative41.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Collectors Gazette

Subscriptions3
  • Collectors Gazette Auto-Renewable Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Collectors Gazette 3M Auto Sub$7.993 Months
  • Collectors Gazette Auto-Renewable Subscription1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time7
  • February 2013 (id:825313)$2.99
  • January 2013 (id:825310)$2.99
  • December 2016 (id:825405)$2.99
Show 4 more
  • July 2017 (id:825419)$2.99
  • October 2017 (id:825425)$2.99
  • Toy Collectors ... (id:737007)$4.99
  • Collectors Gazette 6 Back Issue Bundle$14.99
11 purchases

Model Car Builder

One-time11
  • Model Car Builder - Fall 2013$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Summer 2013$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Spring 2013$4.99
Show 8 more
  • Model Car Builder - Winter 2013$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Winter 2014$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Summer 2014$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Winter 2014 vol 2$4.99
  • Model Car Builder Winter 2015$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Summer 2015$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Winter 2014, Vol 2, No. 5$4.99
  • Model Car Builder - Spring 2014$4.99

Questions

Is Collectors Gazette free?
Collectors Gazette is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Model Car Builder free?
Model Car Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Collectors Gazette or Model Car Builder?
Collectors Gazette is rated higher. Collectors Gazette averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Model Car Builder averages 3.3 from 12 ratings.
Do Collectors Gazette or Model Car Builder have ads?
Neither Collectors Gazette nor Model Car Builder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Collectors Gazette or Model Car Builder?
Collectors Gazette ships an update every 20 months, and Model Car Builder every 3 months. Most recently, Collectors Gazette was updated on October 27, 2026 and Model Car Builder on October 23, 2026.

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