What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, so we’re asking some of the coolest, most shopping-savvy people we know—from small-business owners to designers, artists, and actors—to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.
Who?
In 2021, Rance Nix had been living in New York for six years, working as a real estate agent, and juggling a myriad of creative gigs when he got his first big break: a main character role on The Kings of Napa, the popular OWN show. This wasn’t just important for Rance, but also for his community in the acting world: those with achondroplasia, colloquially known as little people. At four feet six inches tall, Rance has found success as someone who doesn’t fit the long-held (and outdated) typical Hollywood mold.
Rance, who is bursting with positive energy and has a contagious laugh, is an Atlanta native and moved to New York City in 2015 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. Rance remembers his arrival to Williamsburg specifically, saying, “I’ve always been in Brooklyn; that’s just where I landed off the L train, and I haven’t left it since.”
During his Atlanta years and even now while waiting out the industry strike, Rance continues to put out content on his social media channels where viewers can get a glimpse into his life on Coffee with Rance, a YouTube show where he catches up with other creatives. When asked for a bio, Rance’s hosting skills kick in and he says, “I work as an actor and real estate agent in New York City. In the meantime, in between time, I am a man of southern hospitality and lover of lemon-pepper wings and the finer things, such as design. I also love the secondhand market hunt when it comes to furnishing my apartment and buying items to use every day.” Not taking himself too seriously, he starts laughing and asks, “How was that?”
What?
As a little person, getting around the city can be a challenge. Many parts of New York weren’t built with accessibility in mind, but this didn’t faze Rance, who decided to invest in a limited-edition 2018 Supreme Lucano step ladder to make things easier at home. The ladder was the by-product of a highly desirable collaboration between the cult-favorite skate brand and Hasegawa Ladders. When asked why this ladder in particular Rance replies, “My first response is ‘why not?’, but I’ve always loved fashion; I’ve loved the brand Supreme for a long time, and I use step ladders every day, so with all three of those things combined, it made sense.”