If you paid good money to have a sign printed to advertise your business...

[PacificDogwood]

… would you not check and double-check the spelling?
Or expect the printer's to correct a spelling mistake?
Or is this a possible spelling of 'trophy'??

It's life-sized too

I know what you mean Miranda - we have a fencing company round here called Bulldog Fence's.

Oh, and a sign on a trading estate advertising products for 'plasterer's, carpenter's and bricklayers' - so not even consistent with their rogue apostrophes!

You'd expect the printer's what to correct a spelling mistake PacificDogwood?

In many of these examples, the apostrophe is fine.

Is it?!

Er, what??

Explain yourself then ...

I cringe every time I drive past the fair that's on where I live - between the 31th March and 11th April

Bloody hell. I don't give a damn about whether my dry cleaner or green grocer can apostrophise correctly. But a trophy engraver! And the digital brand consultant! "Mattresse's" is a classic of its type though.

YY Lady, most shops and businesses you can forgive. But not a trophy engraver, sign maker or tattooist!

Drank which examples are fine?

I used to live near a shop that sold freshly made apple and cheery pies :)

We had a Robbie,s cafe near us. Although it raised my blood pressure every time I passed it, I couldn't help looking. Punctuation rubbernecking at it's best.

One of my favourites was this shop sign:

Georgina s Hair and Nails

I could just imagine the discussions as to whether there should be an apostrophe in there and the decision just to leave a space before the 's' instead!

I think Sangria might have been stirring it up. Or maybe she's one of those people who thinks that you have to put an apostrophe if the word ends in a vowel.

By the way JustMuddling, I hope your apostrophe in "it's" was ironic.

at ArgyMargy

There's a big plastic one hung on railings here

Advertising the sale of CARPTES

At least it isn't CARPTE'S

We got the local Labour candidate's election leaflet through the door.
She is promising lots more nurses and GP's.

I just can't take her seriously now.

The worst one I have ever seen is on a headstone - it says "Now your gone".

There's a "coffee's, tea's, scone's served all day" near me.

Nice story behind the Marlbororough Arms!
Here
I think that as apostrophes can also indicate missing letters and abbreviations GP's is correct. I'd rewrite to avoid it though as it looks so wrong.