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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 At four feet six inches tall, Rance has found success as someone who doesn’t fit the long-held (and outdated) typical Hollywood mold.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.”
At close to two feet tall, the step ladder is irreplaceable in his daily routine and has become a conversation starter for guests. “It’s a fun talking piece. When people come over and see it, the first thing that people say is, ‘Of course you have a Supreme step ladder!”
When?
When Rance moved apartments in 2019, he decided to commemorate the event by splurging on the step ladder. It was released the year prior as part of Supreme’s fall-winter 2018 collection and retailed for $300. Rance notes the price and says, “I didn’t, you know, necessarily have the $300 to spend on the step ladder when it released, but the following summer I moved into a new apartment with my boy Thi, and that was my gift to myself.”
Where?
The step ladder sold out instantly, but Rance was used to shopping on secondhand marketplace apps for furnishings and found the piece on OfferUp—listed for double its retail price. “The seller was trying to get $600 for it, but I knew how much it retailed for, so I low-balled him and said $200, and the guy said, ‘Hell no!” Rance laughs and says they eventually negotiated to the retail price of the item and agreed to meet in Bed-Stuy for the sale.
The ladder now makes its way around the apartment, finding a use in every room. Rance starts and ends his days on the step ladder as he uses it to open and close the blinds in his bedroom. Even though the step ladder is aesthetically striking, it’s put to good use. “I use it to reach things around the house, put dishes away up on the shelves, water my plants, clean, you name it. Anything that requires extra height, I use it.” He laughs as he thinks back to his in-person interaction with the seller. When they met, he reminded Rance of the good deal he was getting by only paying retail. Rance recounts this and says, “I just remember just being indignant ’cause I was like, yeah, I’m getting a deal, but also I’m gonna use it every day. And I’ve indeed used that step ladder every day since I bought it.”
Why?
Rance was first introduced to the Hasegawa Lucano step ladder in 2016 during his job as a sales advisor for Warby Parker. Before landing the show or hitting his stride in real estate, one of Rance’s first jobs when he moved to NYC was at Warby. Rance says “When I got hired to work at Warby Parker, I knew that a lot of the glasses were gonna be out of my reach, so I had already made up my mind to bring my own step stool to work to be able to do my job.” He notes that a couple of days into his stint at Warby, he saw a number of new white Hasegawa Lucano step ladders in the break room and was immediately excited. He remembers this moment fondly, saying, “I knew right away that they were for me, and I was just excited to be able to do my job to the fullest and was excited about my manager Renae having the foresight and care to order them for me.” Rance calls it an incredibly special moment for him and says, “My time at Warby Parker was legendary.”
As he uses his Supreme version of the ladder around his apartment, he often thinks about the importance of creating more accessible spaces around the city. Now, at 31, Rance says, “I’ve gotten a little older and as my body is starting to age gracefully, I realize that having a space that is accessible is important. Living in a walk-up and climbing up and down the step ladder starts to wear on my body a little bit, so I’ve become more mindful of those things, and unfortunately in a city like New York, accessibility comes with a premium. I do the best I can with what I have, and these days I ask for help when I need.”
