If you accept BTC for gold, diamonds, etc. and bitcoin prices fall, you would of lost money and the person you sold to would of gained a lot of profit.
My business is about liquidity, so I will most likely cash out the bulk of my position as I go. I can't afford to sit on anything...including cash. It's really about moving between different assets and acting as the market maker. I keep a small percentage of each exchange and deal in bulk.