As used in this chapter, "junk dealer" means any person who keeps, conducts or maintains any building, structure, yard or place for keeping, storing or piling, whether temporarily, irregularly or continually, or for buying, selling or dealing in, at retail or wholesale, any old, used or secondhand materials or property of any kind, including cloth, rags, mattresses, clothing, paper, rubbish, bottles, rubber, iron, brass, copper or other metal, furniture, used or abandoned vehicles, machinery, equipment, devices or other articles or property, which, because of its condition, is practically useless for the purpose for which it was originally made or intended and which is commonly classed as junk.
(1956 Code Sec. 551.01)