I would prefer bitcoin, because at any moment I could trade it into things such as gold.
That argument is wrong. Both Bitcoin and gold can be used to purchase other stuff. There are online marketplaces, where you can purchase gold bullion bars and other stuff using your coins. And similarly,
you can barter your bullion bars for jewelry and other stuff using a pawn shop. So there is not much difference between the two.
This must be one of the most bizarre ways of "buying" things. Let's face the facts and cut the crap, the Bitcoin market for real goods is small, but however small it might be, there is no market for buying things with gold directly altogether (primarily because gold, unlike Bitcoin, is not a payment system in and of itself). Indeed, you can always find some old fart who will sell you, say, a house for a couple of pretty looking gold bars...
But this alone still doesn't make it into a market