I play a gnome bard in my wife’s game...
In my game I have had a few people play gnomes. Gnomes run the economy of my home brew. They are the traders responsible for fencing items, importing goods, dealing with magic items. Of all the races they are the ones the best grasp of technology, and they have no problem mixing it with magic. If I had not had a PC at one time be such a golem freak, they would be the ones responsible for bringing Warforge into my home brew.
Believe it or not it the Halflings in my world that are nearly extinct. In the six years we have played I have had one player play one.