Tom DeCeglie has a big smile on his face during our Zoom video chat. He's rifling through a rack of T-shirts that he curated for the call. He picks up a bootleg design celebrating the Chicago Bulls 1997 championship, Biggie and Tupac tributes, and merch from wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin. This is only a handful of the dozens of valuable pieces he possesses. It's an impressive assortment composed of the nostalgic subjects that have made vintage clothing so popular these days.
DeCeglie (aka Tommy McBuckets) is a 25-year-old New Jersey native. While he says his vintage business has only been up and running for about eight months, he has already become a go-to for plenty of NBA players. A look at pregame fits in Orlando’s bubble will showcase plenty of pieces from his inventory. That Florida A&M 2001 Homecoming T-shirt Chris Paul wore? That came from him. Jayson Tatum’s tie-dyed Duke T-shirt? He copped it from Tommy. The vintage Janet Jackson and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate promo T-shirts seen on Montrezl Harrell in the pregame tunnel? Well even NBA's Sixth Man of the Year is privy to Tommy's fine taste in vintage threads.
“I'm just blessed. I'm so grateful for the relationships I've made and being able to get them the gear. I just love that they love it and can appreciate it like I do,” DeCeglie tells Complex. “You learn something about people when you see what they are buying. Their taste is whatever's on the shirt.”
The celebrity supplier’s connection to the NBA was kickstarted by Brooklyn Nets forward Taurean Prince—who was introduced to DeCeglie through a mutual friend in October 2019. DeCeglie recalls going over with a selection of pieces for Prince to shop from and bringing him a pair of vintage colorblocked Guess overalls for his son as a gift. Prince loved the overalls, and from there, word of his impressive selection of vintage gear spread to other players including Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert.
“I'm so grateful for [Prince]. He put me on, for real. He really taught me a lot,” says DeCeglie. “He recommended me to some guys on the team, and then those people recommended me to some guys and so on. That's pretty much how it worked.”
Growing up, DeCeglie said he was always hustling and looking for different ways to make money. In high school, he cleaned and painted his classmates’ sneakers. He actually says a pair of Air Max 90s his mom bought him to start his freshman year in 2009 is what sparked an interest in sneakers and clothing in the first place. His love for vintage comes from being a big fan of the WWF and the New York Knicks growing up. Eventually he went from thrifting pieces for himself to selling them.
While attending Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, he converted his dorm room into a shopping area for students. Initially, it was just a hobby to make some extra money in his spare time. He graduated and briefly held a corporate job in New York City before quitting to pursue his side hustle full-time.
“I just bet on myself and said, ‘I'm going to make this work.’ I didn't really know what I was doing,” DeCeglie tells Complex. “My family was pissed that I quit my job, but I was like, ‘Yo, I hate it.’ I looked around, saw all these old people working in the office. I was like, ‘This can't be me. I can't do this.’ So I quit.”
Eventually, he would start his own marketplace on Depop, a platform he had previously used as a shopper. He’s currently a top seller in the US with over 20,000 followers. A look through his store provides an impressive selection ranging from rare Tiger Woods bootleg T-shirts that sell for $650 to more affordable vintage Tommy Hilfiger gear. They initially were all acquired through local thrifting trips, but nowadays he says he doesn’t have enough time to sift through racks at thrift stores. Instead, he primarily deals with other sellers in the space through social media to bolster his stock.
“I really take pride in having good relationships with my clients, as well as being knowledgeable about what I'm selling. I think that's a big factor, not being in it for the money and more being in it for the love of clothes,” says DeCeglie. “It’s fully caring about what you’re doing rather than just selling everything and making a quick buck.”
With an impressive start and growing client base, DeCeglie already has his sights set on the future. He says he is locked in on continuing to sell vintage and is hoping LeBron James becomes a client one day. Personal shopping and image consulting are other things he hopes to add to his repertoire while working with these various NBA superstars and other big name celebrities. He also hinted at some limited merch drops down the line.
“I can't wait to see where I'm at in a year or two,” he says. “I take pride in what I do. It's working out for the best right now. I'm just trying to stay consistent and stay with it.”
